Playing the C Lydian #2 Scale

Learn the C Lydian #2 scale as C, D#, E, F#, G, A and B. Two notes are raised from C major: the second becomes D# and the fourth becomes F#, so the scale stays bright but carries a surprising minor third above the tonic.

No open string helps here, so shapes are found from the root: the 8th fret of the low E string, or the 3rd fret of the A string. The pitches are those of E harmonic minor, played from its sixth note. Check scale fingering to keep the stretches comfortable.

Play the C lydian #2 scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the C lydian #2 scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
C1Root0
D##2Minor 3rd3
E3Major 3rd4
F##4Tritone6
G5Perfect 5th7
A6Major 6th9
B7Major 7th11

Structure

C lydian #2 scale notes:

C D# E F# G A B

How the lydian #2 scale is built:

The lydian #2 scale is built from the degrees 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7, which gives the step pattern W+H-H-W-H-W-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is mode 6 of the Harmonic Minor Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.

C Lydian #2 Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (B)

On one string (B)

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 2

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 3

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 4

C Lydian #2 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 5

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the C lydian #2 scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 C Cmaj7
#2 D#dim D#dim7
3 Em Em(maj7)
#4 F#dim F#m7(b5)
5 Gaug Gmaj7(b13)
6 Am Am7
7 B B7

Scales with the same notes as C Lydian #2

These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.

ScaleStarts on degreeLearn the scale
Eb Super Locrian bb7 #2 Super Locrian bb7 Scale
E Harmonic Minor 3 Harmonic Minor
F# Locrian #6 #4 Locrian #6
G Ionian #5 5 Ionian #5
A Dorian #4 6 Romanian Minor
B Phrygian Dominant 7 Spanish Phrygian

Other scales on C

Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.

The lydian #2 scale in other keys

C Lydian #2 C# Lydian #2 D Lydian #2 Eb Lydian #2 E Lydian #2 F Lydian #2 F# Lydian #2 G Lydian #2 Ab Lydian #2 A Lydian #2 Bb Lydian #2 B Lydian #2

All about the lydian #2 scale →

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Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher