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Scale · 7 notes

B♭ Lydian Dominant Scale

B♭ Lydian Dominant is a 7-note scale with the notes B♭ C D E F G A♭. It sounds the fourth mode of melodic minor: Lydian with a flat 7th, bright and dominant at once, the sound of 7♯11 chords.

CDEFGA♭B♭

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215EFGA♭B♭CDEFGB♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFGA♭B♭CDEFG

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

Notes in the B♭ Lydian Dominant scale

DegreeNoteName
1B♭Tonic
2CSupertonic
3DMediant
♯4ESubdominant
5FDominant
6GSubmediant
♭7A♭Subtonic

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

B♭ Lydian Dominant scale formula

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

Chords in the B♭ Lydian Dominant scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
IB♭B♭7
IICC7
iii°D°Dø7
iv°E°Eø7
vFmFm(maj7)
viGmGm7
VII+A♭+A♭7♯5

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

How to practise the B♭ Lydian Dominant scale

Learn it as a rotation of a scale you already know (lydian dominant is melodic minor starting on its 4th note, altered starts on its 7th) and play it over the matching chord with a drone on the root.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the B♭ Lydian Dominant scale?

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

What is the formula for the B♭ Lydian Dominant scale?

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

What chords are in the B♭ Lydian Dominant scale?

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

More B♭ scales

B♭ Major, B♭ Natural Minor, B♭ Harmonic Minor, B♭ Melodic Minor, B♭ Dorian, B♭ Phrygian, B♭ Lydian, B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Locrian, B♭ Major Pentatonic, B♭ Minor Pentatonic, B♭ Blues, B♭ Whole Tone, B♭ Dorian ♭2, B♭ Lydian Augmented, B♭ Mixolydian ♭6, B♭ Locrian ♯2, B♭ Phrygian Dominant, B♭ Hungarian Minor, B♭ Double Harmonic, B♭ Diminished (W–H), B♭ Diminished (H–W), B♭ Bebop Dominant, B♭ 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.