Guitar scale · 3rd mode of melodic minor
A 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.
A 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|-----------------------------5-7-9-| B|-----------------------6-7-9-------| G|-------------------6-8-------------| D|-------------6-7-9-----------------| A|-------6-8-9-----------------------| E|-5-7-9-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------7-9-11-| B|------------------------------9-10--------| G|----------------------8-10-11-------------| D|---------------7-9-11---------------------| A|--------8-9-11----------------------------| E|-7-9-11-----------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|----------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------10-11-13---------------| D|-----------------9-11-13------------------------| A|---------9-11-12--------------------------------| E|-9-11-13----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------14-16----------| G|----------------------------13-14-16----------------| D|-------------------13-15-16-------------------------| A|----------12-14-16----------------------------------| E|-13-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-17-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|----------------------------14-16-18----------------| D|-------------------15-16-18-------------------------| A|----------14-16-18----------------------------------| E|-14-16-17-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Lydian Augmented on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A 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 5–9. 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 | A |
| 2 | B |
| 3 | C# |
| ♯4 | D# |
| ♯5 | E# |
| 6 | F# |
| 7 | G# |
Chords in A Lydian Augmented
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Lydian Augmented; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I+ | Aaug | Amaj7#5 | Tonic |
| II | B | B7 | Supertonic |
| III | C# | C#7 | Mediant |
| ♯iv° | D#dim | D#m7b5 | Subdominant |
| ♯v° | E#dim | E#m7b5 | Dominant |
| vi | F#m | F#m(maj7) | Submediant |
| vii | G#m | G#m7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A 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 A Lydian Augmented Scale?
- The A Lydian Augmented Scale has 7 notes: A, B, C#, D#, E#, F#, G#.
- What chords are in the A Lydian Augmented Scale?
- The chords of A Lydian Augmented are Aaug (I+), B (II), C# (III), D#dim (♯iv°), E#dim (♯v°), F#m (vi), G#m (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 A Lydian Augmented on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.