F Lydian Dominant Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
F Lydian Dominant in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The F Lydian Dominant scale, also known as the Acoustic scale, sounds bright, quirky, and dominant all at once. On Guitar, its notes are F, G, A, B, C, D, Eb. 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: F, G, A, B, C, D, Eb
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
Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)
Also known as: lydian b7, overtone
About Drop B Tuning
Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.
Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.
Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure
Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- F Lydian Dominant in Standard Tuning
- F Lydian Dominant in Drop D
- F Lydian Dominant in DADGAD
- F Lydian Dominant in Open G
- F Lydian Dominant in Baritone (B Standard)
- F Lydian Dominant in 7-string
- F Lydian Dominant in 8-string
- F Lydian Dominant in Drop C
- F Lydian Dominant in Open D
- F Lydian Dominant in Half Step Down
- F Lydian Dominant in Open E
- F Lydian Dominant in Open A
- F Lydian Dominant in Double Drop D
- F Lydian Dominant in Open C