B Lydian Dominant Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
B Lydian Dominant Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Lydian Dominant scale, also known as the Acoustic scale, sounds bright, quirky, and dominant all at once. On Guitar, its notes are B, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A. It is widely used in jazz and animation music to solo over dominant chords that do not resolve in the traditional way. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Blues, Film Scores. Notable players include Frank Zappa, Larry Carlton, Pat Metheny. Use over 7#11, 9#11 chords. Ideal for non-resolving dominant chords (the 'Simpsons chord'). Gives a sophisticated twist to blues progressions.
Notes: B, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4A, 5P, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
Formula: W-W-W-H-W-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: lydian b7, overtone
How to Play B Lydian Dominant on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 7 on the 6th (low E) to find your B root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is 2nd fret on the A string.
The B Lydian Dominant scale contains 4 sharps (C#, D#, F#, G#). Its relative minor is G# minor, which shares the same notes.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the B Lydian Dominant scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (B-D#, C#-F) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on B to let the characteristic intervals of the Lydian Dominant scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the B Lydian Dominant scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently.
The B Lydian Dominant scale contains 7 notes (B, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for B Lydian Dominant
The B Lydian Dominant scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore B Lydian Dominant Further
- Harmonize the B Lydian Dominant scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- B Lydian Dominant on Ukulele
- B Lydian Dominant on Bass
- B Lydian Dominant on Piano
Explore B Lydian Dominant in Other Tunings
- B Lydian Dominant in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- B Lydian Dominant in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- B Lydian Dominant in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- B Lydian Dominant in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- B Lydian Dominant in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- B Lydian Dominant in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- B Lydian Dominant in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- B Lydian Dominant in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- B Lydian Dominant in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- B Lydian Dominant in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- B Lydian Dominant in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- B Lydian Dominant in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- B Lydian Dominant in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- B Lydian Dominant in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)