A Lydian mode
A Lydian mode is A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯, with C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯. Formula 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
A Lydian mode, note by note
Counted in steps it goes W W W H W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between D♯–E and G♯–A.
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | |
| 2 | B | major second | |
| 3 | C♯ | major third | |
| ♯4 | D♯ | tritone | |
| 5 | E | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | F♯ | major sixth | |
| 7 | G♯ | major seventh |
The sound of A Lydian mode
Lydian is a major mode with a raised 4th. The D♯ gives it a floating, dreamy lift that film composers use for wonder and flight.
Over a A chord, let D♯ ring: it's the raised 4th, and it's what makes the mode shimmer.
Compared with A major scale, A Lydian mode has D♯ where the other has D; the other six notes are shared. Hear A major scale and compare.
A Lydian mode uses the same seven notes as E major, starting from A instead of E. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Lydian is playing it over a A bass or chord.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: four black (C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯), three white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 5th fret of the low E string and spans frets 3–9: 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 A Lydian mode; the ones that differ from the E major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
A Lydian mode shares all its notes with C♯ natural minor (starting on the 3rd note, C♯), D♯ Locrian (starting on the 4th note, D♯), E major (starting on the 5th note, E), F♯ Dorian (starting on the 6th note, F♯), G♯ Phrygian (starting on the 7th note, G♯) and B Mixolydian (starting on the 2nd note, B). Which one you hear depends on which note the music treats as home.
Finding A Lydian on the neck
Find A first: fret 5 of the 6th string, fret 0 and 12 of the 5th (0 means open). Most guitarists learn it in five overlapping positions; on the low E string they begin around frets 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12. Hold a major chord and lean on the ♯4 to hear why film composers reach for it.
On the piano, A Lydian mode uses 4 black keys (C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯) and 3 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's A–C♯, B–D♯, C♯–E, D♯–F♯, E–G♯, F♯–A, G♯–B.
Drills for A Lydian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Up in threes: A B C♯ · B C♯ D♯ · C♯ D♯ E · D♯ E F♯ · E F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A.
- Target D♯: A D♯ A D♯ A: the ♯4 floats where major has a plain 4th.
Try next, from A
Lydian mode in every key
A Lydian mode: questions
What are the notes of the A Lydian mode?
A, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯ and G♯, then A again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the A Lydian mode?
Four: C♯, D♯, F♯ and G♯.
What chords are in the A Lydian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives A (I), B (II), C♯m (iii), D♯dim (iv°), E (V), F♯m (vi) and G♯m (vii).
What's the difference between A Lydian mode and A major scale?
D♯ in A Lydian; D in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as A Lydian mode?
E major. A Lydian is E major played from its 4th note, A.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 and tested. Updated September 2026.