F Lydian Dominant Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
F Lydian Dominant Scale — Notes and Intervals
The F Lydian Dominant scale, also known as the Acoustic scale, sounds bright, quirky, and dominant all at once. On Ukulele, 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
Also known as: lydian b7, overtone
How to Play F Lydian Dominant on Ukulele
On ukulele, find F on the fret 5 area, and work through the scale within a four-fret span. You may need to shift positions once to cover all 7 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
The F Lydian Dominant scale contains 1 flat (Eb). Its relative minor is D minor, which shares the same notes.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the F Lydian Dominant scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (F-A, G-B) 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 F to let the characteristic intervals of the Lydian Dominant scale come through clearly.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the F Lydian Dominant scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know.
The F Lydian Dominant scale contains 7 notes (F, G, A, B, C, D, Eb). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for F Lydian Dominant
The F 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 F Lydian Dominant Further
- Harmonize the F Lydian Dominant scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- F Lydian Dominant on Guitar
- F Lydian Dominant on Bass
- F Lydian Dominant on Piano