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Scale · 7 notes

A♭ Lydian Scale

A♭ Lydian is a 7-note scale with the notes A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F G. It sounds major with a raised 4th, dreamy and floating.

CDFGE♭A♭B♭

Purple = A♭ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every A♭ lydian note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGB♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDFGA♭B♭CDE♭FG

Blue = A♭ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the A♭ Lydian scale

DegreeNoteName
1A♭Tonic
2B♭Supertonic
3CMediant
♯4DSubdominant
5E♭Dominant
6FSubmediant
7GLeading tone

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F G.

A♭ Lydian scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – W – W – H – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7.

Chords in the A♭ Lydian scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
IA♭A♭maj7
IIB♭B♭7
iiiCmCm7
iv°D°Dø7
VE♭E♭maj7
viFmFm7
viiGmGm7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

Related scales

  • Parent major scale: E♭ Major, which has exactly the same notes as A♭ Lydian.

How to practise the A♭ Lydian scale

Learn each mode by its characteristic note: the one that makes it different from the major or minor scale it most resembles. Play a drone on the tonic while you play the scale to hear its colour.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the A♭ Lydian scale?

The notes of the A♭ Lydian scale are A♭ B♭ C D E♭ F G.

What is the formula for the A♭ Lydian scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W – W – W – H – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7.

What chords are in the A♭ Lydian scale?

Built from the scale in triads: A♭, B♭, Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm.

More A♭ scales

A♭ Major, A♭ Natural Minor, A♭ Harmonic Minor, A♭ Melodic Minor, A♭ Dorian, A♭ Mixolydian, A♭ Major Pentatonic, A♭ Minor Pentatonic, A♭ Lydian Dominant, A♭ Whole Tone, A♭ Lydian Augmented, A♭ Mixolydian ♭6, A♭ Hungarian Minor, A♭ Bebop Dominant, A♭ Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.