E♭ Lydian mode on guitar
The E♭ Lydian mode has seven notes: E♭, F, G, A, B♭, C and D (1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7). A major scale with a sharp 4th. Dreamy and floating rather than settled; play it over a maj7 or maj7♯11 chord, or a major chord moving to the major chord a tone above (C to D).
| Note | E♭ | F | G | A | B♭ | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | 3 | ♯4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Step to the next | whole | whole | whole | half | whole | whole | half |
5 positions to learn it in
On guitar a seven-note scale is learnt in five shapes, each built round one of the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Together they cover the neck. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the E♭ Lydian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; E♭ (E♭) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (E♭) | E♭home | E♭maj7home |
| 2 (F) | Fthe lift | F7the lift |
| 3 (G) | Gmhalf-light | Gm7half-light |
| ♯4 (A) | Adimthe edge | Am7♭5the edge |
| 5 (B♭) | B♭the pull | B♭maj7the pull |
| 6 (C) | Cmthe shadow | Cm7the shadow |
| 7 (D) | Dmcolour | Dm7colour |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the B♭ major scale, started from its fourth note, E♭.
Questions
What notes are in the E♭ Lydian mode?
E♭, F, G, A, B♭, C and D. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7, and the steps between its notes are W W W H W W H (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the E♭ Lydian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: E♭, F, Gm, Adim, B♭, Cm and Dm, and as seventh chords E♭maj7, F7, Gm7, Am7♭5, B♭maj7, Cm7 and Dm7. E♭ is home: E♭ is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Lydian mode in every key
Other scales in E♭
E♭ majorE♭ minorE♭ minor pentatonicE♭ major pentatonicE♭ bluesE♭ DorianE♭ MixolydianE♭ PhrygianE♭ harmonic minorE♭ melodic minorE♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.