Lydian b7 Scale

The Lydian b7 scale is a seven note scale whose interval pattern is: whole step, whole step,
whole step, half step, whole step, half step, whole step, It is used over a Dominant 7 chord. The C
Lydian b7 scale contains the notes C,D,E,F#,G,A,Bb. If we play this scale up and down the A string it

Guitar Fretboard
high
pitched
string E
B
G
D
A C D E F# G A C
low E
pitched Whole step Whole step Whole step half step Whole step half step Whole step

string

It is sometimes easier to think of the Lydian b7 scale as a Lydian scale where the 7th has
been flatted rather than memorizing the interval pattern. It should also be pointed out that if we
play a G Jazz Minor scale starting on the 4th degree (C) we will be playing a C Lydian b7 scale

high Guitar Fretboard

pitched
string E
B
G
D
A
low E G A Bb C D E F# G A Bb C
pitched
string Whole step half step Whole step Whole step Whole step Whole step half step Whole step half step Whole step

C Lydian b7 Scale
It is important to know each scale in two ways:

First, memorize its interval pattern or what alterations it has in comparison to C Lydian. In this case
C Lydian b7 adds a flatted 7th. You want to develop the ability to hear Lydian b7 as its own key. The
following progressions give you an example of hearing C Lydian b7 as the key center. Notice that all
© TrueFire & Bruce Arnold, 2007 | All Rights Reserved
the chords used in these progressions are diatonic to the key of C Lydian b7.

|: C7b5 / / /:| |: C7#11 /D7 / :|

Second, memorize which Jazz Minor scale a particular mode comes from. In this case C Lydian b7
is the 4th degree of G Jazz Minor. This second method allows you to group similar scales together.
For the following progression you could just play a G Jazz Minor scale over all the chords because
the chord scale for each chord would have the same notes as an G Jazz Minor and the chord progres-
sion is combined in a way that makes you hear G Jazz Minor as the key center.

|: G-∆7 / / /|G-∆7 / / /|Bb∆7#5/C7#11 / :|

 *Use Lydian b7 over a From website:
C7#11 chord C Lydian b7 Scale (all 7 positions on guitar) www.arnoldjazz.com
String 6 5
œ # œ
4
œ
1
œ bœ 3 2

& # œ œ œ bœ œ œ
œ b œ œ œ œ
Fingering
#œ œ
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
Fret 2 3 5 1 3 5 2 4 5 2 3 5 3 5 7 3 5 6
String 6 5
# œ œ œ
1 bœ œ
4 3 2

bœ œ œ œ
& # œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ bœ œ
Fingering 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4
Fret 3 5 6 3 5 7 4 5 7 3 5 7 5 7 8 5 6 8

String 6 5
# œ
2
œ œ b œ1 œ œ
4 3

& œ œ b œ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ œ #œ
œ
Fingering 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
Fret 5 6 8 5 7 9 5 7 8 5 7 9 7 8 10 6 8 10

œ œ b œ œ œ œ 1

œ #œ
String 6 5 2 4 3

b œ œ œ
&
œ œ œ #œ œ œ
bœ
Fingering
Fret 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4

œ œ #œ
6 8 10 7 9 10 7 8 10 7 9 11 8 10 11 8 10 12

b œ œ
#œ œ œ
1
String 6 5 4 3 2

œ œ œ
& œ œ #œ œ œ bœ
œ
Fingering 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4

#œ œ
Fret 8 10 12 9 10 12 8 10 12 9 11 12 10 11 13 10 12 14

œ œ œ
œ œ bœ
1

# œ
String 6 5 4 3 2
œ œ
& œ œ #œ œ œ bœ œ
© TrueFire & Bruce Arnold, 2007 | All Rights Reserved
Fingering 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
Fret
œ
10 12 14 10 12 13 10 12 14 11 12 14 11 13 15 12 14 15

œ œ # œ œ 1

œ bœ œ
2
String 6 5 4
œ œ # œ œ
3

& œ #œ œ œ bœ œ
Fingering 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
Fret 12 14 15 12 13 15 12 14 16 12 14 15 13 15 17 14 15 17
This C lydian b7 scale should be learned by thinking the notes i.e. C,D,E... or by thinking the degrees
C=1,D=2, etc., Do not just memorize a fingering pattern. After you have mastered the C lydian b7 scale in
every position. You should learn the scale in all keys. Use Cycle 5 to move through the keys i.e. C then F, Bb,
Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, G. Remember always think the notes or the degrees. Good Luck!
 Diatonic Triads Chords of Lydian in all Keys

C Lydian b7 F Lydian b7
F # dim B b aug F maj G maj E b aug

b # œœœ
C maj D maj E dim G min A min A dim B dim C min D min

b œœœ œœ
& œœœ # œœœ b œœ
œ # œœœ œ b œœ œ
œœ b œœœ œœ
œ
œ
b œœ
œ
œœ œœœ œ
Bb Lydian b7 Eb Lydian b7
B bmaj A b aug E bmaj B b min C min D b aug
œ b œœœ b œœœ
C maj D dim E dim F min G min F maj G dim A dim

b œœœ b œœœ b œœœ œœ b b œœœ b œœœ b b œœ

& œœ
bœ
œ
œœ
b œœ
œ
b œœœ b b œœœ œ

Ab Lydian b7 Db Lydian b7
A bmaj B bmaj E b min G baug D bmaj E bmaj A b min B b min B aug
œœ b b œœœ
C dim D dim F min F dim G dim

b œœ b b b œœœ b œœœ b b œœœ b œœ b b œœœ b œ b œ b b œ

œ b
b œœ b œœ b œ b œ
& b œœ
b œœœ b b œœœ œ bœ
b œ
Gb Lydian b7 B Lydian b7
G bmaj A bmaj B b dim D b min E b min C #maj D # dim F # min G # min
# œœ # # # œœœ
C dim E aug B maj F dim A aug

# œ # œ # # œ
œ #
& b œ b œœ b b œœ b b œœœ b b b œœœ b b b œœœ b b œœœ œ
# # œœœ # # # œœœ # # œœœ # # œœ # œœ # œœ
œ œ œ
b b œœ b œ b œ

F #maj G #dim A #dim C # min C # dim D # dim F # min G aug

E Lydian b7 A Lydian b7
E maj B min D aug A maj B maj E min

œœœ # # œœœ # œœœ

& œ œ
# # œœ
# œœœ # # œœœ # # œœœ # œœœ # # œœœ
œ
# œœ # # œœœ
# œœœ # # # œœœ # œœ © TrueFire & Bruce Arnold, 2007 | All Rights Reserved

F # dim G # dim C # dim

D Lydian b7 G Lydian b7

# œœœ
D maj E maj A min B min C aug G maj A maj B dim D min E min F aug

œœ # œœœ
& # œœœ # œœœ œ
# œœ # œœœ œ
# œœœ œ œ
# œœ
œœœ œœ
œ
# œœ
œ
œ
œœ œœ
 Diatonic 7th Chords of Lydian in all Keys

C Lydian b7 F Lydian b7
E -7 b 5 F #-7 b 5 B b∆7#5 A -7 b 5 B -7 b 5 E b∆7#5
œœ œ
b # œœœœ b # œœœ
C7 D7 G -Maj7 A -7 F7 G7 C -Maj7 D -7

b œœœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ
& b œœœœ # œœœœ œ # œœ b œœ œ b œœœ œœ
œœ
œ
b œœœ œ b œœ
œœ œœœ œ
Bb Lydian b7 Eb Lydian b7
B b7 A b∆7#5 E b7 B b-Maj7 C -7 D b∆7#5
œœœ b b œœœ b œœœœ
b b
G -7 b 5 A -7 b 5
œ œœœ b œœœ b b œœœ b œœœœ
C7 D -7 5 E -7 5 F -Maj7 G -7 F7

& b œœœ b œœœ b œœœ b œœœœ b œœœœ b œœœ bœ b bb œœœœ œ œ

b
bœ œ
bœ œ œ

Ab Lydian b7 Db Lydian b7
A b7 B b7 b b
E b-Maj7 G b∆7#5 D b7 E b7 F -7 b 5 G -7 b 5 A b-Maj7 B b-7
œ œ œœ b b œœœ b b œœœ
C -7 5 D -7 5 F -7 B ∆7#5

œ b œ œ b œ b œ b œ b
& b b œœœ b œœ b b b œœœ b œœœ
œ b b b œœœ b œœœ b b œœ b bb œœœœ b b œœœ b b œœœ b œœ b b œœ b œ b œ
bœ b œœ œ
Gb Lydian b7 B Lydian b7
G b7 A b7 B b-7 b 5 b
D b-Maj7 E b-7 C # 7 D #-7 b 5 F -7 b 5 F #-7 b 5 G #-7
# œœ # # # œœœ
C -7 5 E ∆7#5 B7 A ∆7#5

bœ bœ # œ # œ # # œ
œ #
& b b œœ b b œœœ b b b œœœ b b b œœœœ b b b œœœœ b b b œœœ b b œœœ œ
# # œœœ # # # œœœ # # œœœ # # œœ # œœ # œœ
œ œ œ
b b œœ b œ b œ

F #7 G #-7 b 5 A #-7 b 5 B -Maj7 C #-7 C #-7 b 5 D #-7 b 5 E -Maj7 F #-7

E Lydian b7 A Lydian b7

# œœœ # œœœ # # œœœœ

E7 D ∆7#5 A7 B7 G ∆7#5

& œ #œ # œœœ #œ #œ
# # œœœœ # # œœœœ # # œœœ # œœœ # # œœœœ œœ # ## œœœœ œ #œ
# œœœ # # œœœ # # œœœ œ # œœ
© TrueFire & Bruce Arnold, 2007 | All Rights Reserved
#œ

F #-7 b 5 G #-7 b 5 A -Maj7 C #-7 b 5 D -Maj7

D Lydian b7 G Lydian b7
B -7 b 5
# œœœ # œœœœ # œœœœ
D7 E7 B -7 C ∆7#5 G7 A7 E -7 F ∆7#5

œœ # œœœ œœœ # œœœ

& # œœœœ # œœœœ # œœ #œ œ œ œ
# œœœ
œœœ œœ
# œœ
# œœ
œœ œ œ
œœœ œ