B Lydian mode
B Lydian mode is B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ – G♯ – A♯, with C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯. Formula 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
B Lydian mode, note by note
From B upward the gaps are W W W H W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between E♯–F♯ and A♯–B.
| Degree | Note | Interval from B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | root | |
| 2 | C♯ | major second | |
| 3 | D♯ | major third | |
| ♯4 | E♯ | tritone | |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | G♯ | major sixth | |
| 7 | A♯ | major seventh |
The sound of B Lydian mode
B Lydian is B major with the 4th sharpened to E♯. It sounds major but never quite settles, which is exactly why people reach for it.
The Lydian color comes from C♯, a major chord on the 2nd degree; B to C♯ and back is the classic floating vamp.
Compared with B major scale, B Lydian mode has E♯ where the other has E; the other six notes are shared. Hear B major scale and compare.
B Lydian mode uses the same seven notes as F♯ major, starting from B instead of F♯. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Lydian is playing it over a B bass or chord.
On piano and on guitar
C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯ are on black keys; the rest are white. E♯ is a white key with a sharp or flat name, because each letter can appear only once in the scale.
18 notes fit in the box between frets 5 and 11, with B at the 7th fret of the low E string.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit B Lydian mode; the ones that differ from the F♯ major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C♯ Mixolydian (starting on the 2nd note, C♯), E♭ natural minor (starting on the 3rd note, E♭), F Locrian (starting on the 4th note, F), F♯ major (starting on the 5th note, F♯), G♯ Dorian (starting on the 6th note, G♯) and B♭ Phrygian (starting on the 7th note, B♭). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Finding B Lydian on the neck
The root, B, sits at fret 7 on the low E string and 2 and 14 on the A string. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 2, 4, 7, 9 and 12 on the low E string. Hold a major chord and lean on the ♯4 to hear why film composers reach for it.
On the piano, B Lydian mode uses 5 black keys (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯) and 2 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: B–D♯, C♯–E♯, D♯–F♯, E♯–G♯, F♯–A♯, G♯–B, A♯–C♯.
Drills for B Lydian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Up in threes: B C♯ D♯ · C♯ D♯ E♯ · D♯ E♯ F♯ · E♯ F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A♯ · G♯ A♯ B.
- Land on E♯: B E♯ B E♯ B: the ♯4 floats where major has a plain 4th.
Try next, from B
Lydian mode in every key
B Lydian mode: questions
What are the notes of the B Lydian mode?
B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯, then B again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the B Lydian mode?
Six: C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯.
What chords are in the B Lydian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives B (I), C♯ (II), D♯m (iii), E♯dim (iv°), F♯ (V), G♯m (vi) and A♯m (vii).
What's the difference between B Lydian mode and B major scale?
E♯ in B Lydian; E in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as B Lydian mode?
F♯ major. B Lydian is F♯ major played from its 4th note, B.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 and tested. Updated September 2026.