Lydian Mode/Scale: Interactive Piano & Guitar Reference with Chords

🎨 A visual piano and guitar reference to the Lydian mode (aka Lydian scale), which is the 4th mode of the major scale. The Lydian mode is created from the major scale by raising the 4th scale degree. The Lydian mode is major-sounding and sounds dreamy and ethereal.

This reference includes the notes and chords on the piano keyboard for each Lydian scale.

Lydian mode formula:
1 - 2 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Lydian Mode: Reference Table

First, a reference table for the Lydian mode/scale for all the keys. The keys are in order of 5ths, as with the circle of fifths. This illustrates the close relationship between keys that are a 5th distance apart.

I	II	iii	iv°	V	vi	vii	I
C	D	E	F♯	G	A	B	C
G	A	B	C♯	D	E	F♯	G
D	E	F♯	G♯	A	B	C♯	D
A	B	C♯	D♯	E	F♯	G♯	A
E	F♯	G♯	A♯	B	C♯	D♯	E
B	C♯	D♯	E♯	F♯	G♯	A♯	B
F♯	G♯	A♯	B♯	C♯	D♯	E♯	F♯
D♭	E♭	F	G	A♭	B♭	C	D♭
A♭	B♭	C	D	E♭	F	G	A♭
E♭	F	G	A	B♭	C	D	E♭
B♭	C	D	E	F	G	A	B♭
F	G	A	B	C	D	E	F

Lydian Mode on Guitar

Here you can visualize the different keys of the Lydian mode on the guitar fretboard. You can highlight the notes in each of the lydian scales using the CAGED or the Three Notes Per String (TNPS) systems.

Select a Key:

Scale:

Tuning:

show:

highlight:

box:

Lydian Mode on Piano

And now for each of the keys/scales in more detail. Tip: click the lock icon to trigger the chords of that key using buttons 1 through 7 on your keyboard.

C Lydian

notes: C D E F♯ G A B

relative key: G major

C
D
E
F^♯
G
A
B
C

chords in the key of C Lydian

D Lydian

notes: D E F♯ G♯ A B C♯

relative key: A major

D
E
F^♯
G^♯
A
B
C^♯
D

chords in the key of D Lydian

E Lydian

notes: E F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯

relative key: B major

E
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
B
C^♯
D^♯
E

chords in the key of E Lydian

F Lydian

notes: F G A B C D E

relative key: C major

chords in the key of F Lydian

G Lydian

notes: G A B C♯ D E F♯

relative key: D major

G
A
B
C^♯
D
E
F^♯
G

chords in the key of G Lydian

A Lydian

notes: A B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯

relative key: E major

A
B
C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯
G^♯
A

chords in the key of A Lydian

B Lydian

notes: B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯

relative key: F^♯ major

B
C^♯
D^♯
E^♯
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
B

chords in the key of B Lydian

D♭ / C♯ Lydian

D_♭ Lydian: D_♭ E_♭ F G A_♭ B_♭ C

C^♯ Lydian: C^♯ D^♯ E^♯ F^♯^♯ G^♯ A^♯ B^♯

relative key: G^♯ major

D_♭
E_♭
F
G
A_♭
B_♭
C
D_♭

chords in the key of C^♯ Lydian

E♭ / D♯ Lydian

E_♭ Lydian: E_♭ F G A B_♭ C D

D^♯ Lydian: D^♯ E^♯ F^♯^♯ G^♯^♯ A^♯ B^♯ C^♯^♯

relative key: A^♯ major

E_♭
F
G
A
B_♭
C
D
E_♭

chords in the key of D^♯ Lydian

G♭ / F♯ Lydian

G_♭ Lydian: G_♭ A_♭ B_♭ C D_♭ E_♭ F

F^♯ Lydian: F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯

relative key: C^♯ major

G_♭
A_♭
B_♭
C
D_♭
E_♭
F
G_♭

chords in the key of F^♯ Lydian

A♭ / G♯ Lydian

A_♭ Lydian: A_♭ B_♭ C D E_♭ F G

G^♯ Lydian: G^♯ A^♯ B^♯ C^♯^♯ D^♯ E^♯ F^♯^♯

relative key: D^♯ major

A_♭
B_♭
C
D
E_♭
F
G
A_♭

chords in the key of G^♯ Lydian

B♭ / A♯ Lydian

B_♭ Lydian: B_♭ C D E F G A

A^♯ Lydian: A^♯ B^♯ C^♯^♯ D^♯^♯ E^♯ F^♯^♯ G^♯^♯

relative key: F major

B_♭
C
D
E
F
G
A
B_♭

chords in the key of A^♯ Lydian

Piano Samples

The piano samples used for this lydian scale reference are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

C D E F G A B D_♭ E_♭ G_♭ A_♭ B_♭