G♭ Lydian mode (F♯ Lydian)
G♭ Lydian mode is G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F, with G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭. Formula 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
Notes and steps
The step pattern is W W W H W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between C–D♭ and F–G♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from G♭ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G♭ | root | |
| 2 | A♭ | major second | |
| 3 | B♭ | major third | |
| ♯4 | C | tritone | |
| 5 | D♭ | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | E♭ | major sixth | |
| 7 | F | major seventh |
What G♭ Lydian sounds like
Lydian is a major mode with a raised 4th. The C gives it a floating, dreamy lift that film composers use for wonder and flight.
Over a G♭ chord, let C ring: it's the raised 4th, and it's what makes the mode shimmer.
Compared with F♯ major scale, G♭ Lydian mode has C where the other has B; the other six notes are shared. Hear F♯ major scale and compare.
G♭ Lydian mode uses the same seven notes as D♭ major, starting from G♭ instead of D♭. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Lydian is playing it over a G♭ bass or chord.
On piano and on guitar
G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭ are on black keys; the rest are white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 2nd fret of the low E string and spans frets 0–6: 18 notes, low string to high.
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 G♭ Lydian mode; the ones that differ from the D♭ major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know G♭ Lydian mode, you already know the notes of C Locrian (starting on the 4th note, C), D♭ major (starting on the 5th note, D♭), E♭ Dorian (starting on the 6th note, E♭), F Phrygian (starting on the 7th note, F), A♭ Mixolydian (starting on the 2nd note, A♭) and B♭ natural minor (starting on the 3rd note, B♭).
G♭ Lydian mode across the fretboard
Find G♭ first: fret 2 and 14 of the 6th string, fret 9 of the 5th. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 2, 4, 7, 9 and 11) and you'll have it everywhere. Hold a major chord and lean on the ♯4 to hear why film composers reach for it.
On the piano, G♭ Lydian mode uses 5 black keys (G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭) and 2 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: G♭–B♭, A♭–C, B♭–D♭, C–E♭, D♭–F, E♭–G♭, F–A♭.
Three ways to practise G♭ Lydian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Groups of three: G♭ A♭ B♭ · A♭ B♭ C · B♭ C D♭ · C D♭ E♭ · D♭ E♭ F · E♭ F G♭.
- Target C: G♭ C G♭ C G♭: the ♯4 floats where major has a plain 4th.
Try next, from G♭
Lydian mode in every key
G♭ Lydian mode: questions
What are the notes of the G♭ Lydian mode?
G♭, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭. As degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the G♭ Lydian mode?
Five: G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭ and E♭.
What chords are in the G♭ Lydian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives G♭ (I), A♭ (II), B♭m (iii), Cdim (iv°), D♭ (V), E♭m (vi) and Fm (vii).
What's the difference between G♭ Lydian mode and F♯ major scale?
C in G♭ Lydian; B in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as G♭ Lydian mode?
D♭ major. G♭ Lydian is D♭ major played from its 4th note, G♭.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.