A Lydian dom

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A Lydian dom Scale

– – – – – – –

Step pattern W – W – W – H – W – H – W

A Lydian dom contains 7 notes: A, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G. It has 3 sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯. The step pattern is W–W–W–H–W–H–W. It is derived from A Melodic Minor.

Lydian dominant blends Lydian charm with dominant 7th instability. It's a cornerstone of jazz and fusion that solves the problem of playing over dominant chords without the tension of a natural 4th.

Theory

Built as 1 - 2 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - b7, this is the 4th mode of melodic minor. The #4 replaces the natural 4th's dark pull with brightness, while the b7 maintains dominant chord quality. It creates a V7#11 chord. It's also known as the "overtone scale" because its intervals closely match the natural harmonic series. The go-to scale for non-functioning dominant chords and tritone substitutions.

On the guitar

Think of Mixolydian with a raised 4th. This is your default scale for dominant 7th chords that don't resolve down a 5th (non-functioning dominants). Over a tritone sub, play the melodic minor scale a tritone away from the original dominant root. The #4 eliminates the "avoid note" problem of standard Mixolydian.

Piano