Guitar scale · 3rd mode of melodic minor
Ab Lydian Augmented Scale
The third mode of melodic minor: a Lydian scale with a raised 5th, bright and floating, with no place to rest.
Tap any note to hear it.
Ab Lydian Augmented Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------4-6-8-| B|-----------------------5-6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-------------| D|-------------5-6-8-----------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-4-6-8-----------------------------|
e|---------------------------------6-8-10-| B|-----------------------------8-9--------| G|----------------------7-9-10------------| D|---------------6-8-10-------------------| A|--------7-8-10--------------------------| E|-6-8-10---------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------8-10-12-| B|---------------------------------9-11---------| G|-------------------------9-10-12--------------| D|-----------------8-10-12----------------------| A|---------8-10-11------------------------------| E|-8-10-12--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-13-15----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------11-13-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-16-| B|-------------------------------------15-17----------| G|----------------------------13-15-17----------------| D|-------------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|----------13-15-17----------------------------------| E|-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
How to play Ab Lydian Augmented on guitar
Find the root first: Ab is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Ab on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, ♯5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 4–8. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ab |
| 2 | Bb |
| 3 | C |
| ♯4 | D |
| ♯5 | E |
| 6 | F |
| 7 | G |
Chords in Ab Lydian Augmented
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Ab Lydian Augmented; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Abaug | Abmaj7#5 | Tonic |
| II | Bb | Bb7 | Supertonic |
| III | C | C7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Subdominant |
| ♯v° | Edim | Em7b5 | Dominant |
| vi | Fm | Fm(maj7) | Submediant |
| vii | Gm | Gm7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise Ab Lydian Augmented anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the Ab Lydian Augmented Scale?
- The Ab Lydian Augmented Scale has 7 notes: Ab, Bb, C, D, E, F, G.
- What chords are in the Ab Lydian Augmented Scale?
- The chords of Ab Lydian Augmented are Abaug (I+), Bb (II), C (III), Ddim (♯iv°), Edim (♯v°), Fm (vi), Gm (vii).
- What is the formula of the lydian augmented scale?
- 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 6 7, which is the step pattern W W W W H W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play Ab Lydian Augmented on the guitar?
- The root Ab is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 4–8, and four more positions connect it up the neck.