C Lydian scale on piano
C Lydian has 7 notes: C D E F♯ G A B. Degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7. Formula: W W W H W W H.
What notes are in the C Lydian scale?
C, D, E, F♯, G, A and B. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is W W W H W W H.
What does C Lydian sound like, and when do you use it?
Floating and dreamy: the ♯4 lifts the major chord off the ground. Very much a soundtrack sound. Use it over maj7(♯11) · the IV of a major key.
To hear it: Flying in a Blue Dream — Joe Satriani.
Chords in C Lydian
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | C | Cmaj7 |
| II | D | D7 |
| iii | Em | Em7 |
| ♯iv° | F♯° | F♯m7♭5 |
| V | G | Gmaj7 |
| vi | Am | Am7 |
| vii | Bm | Bm7 |
Chord progressions to improvise with C Lydian
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the keyboard lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in C:
- Lydian vamp (Imaj7–II7): Cmaj7 | D7. The II7 makes the ♯4 (F♯) the chord's 3rd: the scale floats without falling.
- I–vii (Imaj7–vii7): Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Bm7 | Bm7. The sound of movie soundtracks: shine with a touch of nostalgia.
- Modal (Imaj7): a Cmaj7 vamp. A single maj7 chord: let the F♯ ring against the root.
C Lydian on the keyboard
It uses 1 black key: F♯. On the interactive keyboard above you can hear it, show its degrees or intervals and practice its chords.
Same notes as
G major · E natural minor · G Ionian · A Dorian · B Phrygian · D Mixolydian · E Aeolian · F♯ Locrian