Fretwise Get the app

Guitar scale · Lydian diminished

B Lydian b3 Scale

Mode 4 of Harmonic Major: Lydian with a lowered 3rd, also called Lydian diminished.

Notes BC#DE#F#G#A#
Formula 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 7
Steps W H W+H H W W H
Mood Haunting, Rich, Unusual
Heard in Modal Improvisation, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

B Lydian b3 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

B Lydian b3 Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 7–11
e|-----------------------------------7-9-10-|
B|------------------------------9-11--------|
G|----------------------7-10-11-------------|
D|---------------8-9-11---------------------|
A|--------8-9-11----------------------------|
E|-7-9-10-----------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 9–13
e|----------------------------------------9-10-13-|
B|----------------------------------11-12---------|
G|-------------------------10-11-13---------------|
D|-----------------9-11-12------------------------|
A|---------9-11-13--------------------------------|
E|-9-10-13----------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-|
B|----------------------------------12-14-15-------|
G|-------------------------11-13-15----------------|
D|----------------11-12-15-------------------------|
A|-------11-13-14----------------------------------|
E|-13-14-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 14–18
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-18-|
B|-------------------------------------15-18----------|
G|----------------------------15-16-18----------------|
D|-------------------15-16-18-------------------------|
A|----------14-16-17----------------------------------|
E|-14-16-18-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 16–20
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-19-|
B|-------------------------------------18-19----------|
G|----------------------------16-18-19----------------|
D|-------------------16-18-20-------------------------|
A|----------16-17-20----------------------------------|
E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------|

How to play B Lydian b3 on guitar

Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B 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 7–11. 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

DegreeNote
1 B
2 C#
♭3 D
♯4 E#
5 F#
6 G#
7 A#

Chords in B Lydian b3

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Lydian b3; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i Bm Bm(maj7) Tonic
II C# C#7 Supertonic
♭III+ Daug Dmaj7#5 Mediant
♯iv° E#dim E#dim7 Subdominant
V F# F#maj7 Dominant
vi° G#dim G#m7b5 Submediant
vii A#m A#m7 Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise B Lydian b3 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.

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed

Questions

What notes are in the B Lydian b3 Scale?
The B Lydian b3 Scale has 7 notes: B, C#, D, E#, F#, G#, A#.
What chords are in the B Lydian b3 Scale?
The chords of B Lydian b3 are Bm (i), C# (II), Daug (♭III+), E#dim (♯iv°), F# (V), G#dim (vi°), A#m (vii).
What is the formula of the lydian b3 scale?
1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 7, which is the step pattern W H W+H H W W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play B Lydian b3 on the guitar?
The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Lydian b3 Scale in every key

More scales in B