Map it slowly
Find D on string 5 at fret 5. Play string 5, fret 5; string 5, fret 7; string 5, fret 9; string 4, fret 6; string 4, fret 7. Use a relaxed position and release pressure between repetitions. String 1 is high E.
Lydian dominant · D · Guitar
D Lydian dominant scale on guitar
The D Lydian dominant scale is D E F♯ G♯ A B C — formula 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7, step pattern W–W–W–H–W–H–W. Use it over D7♯11: it is the scale for dominant chords that do not resolve down a fifth — tritone substitutes, IV7, and 7♯11 chords. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
D Lydian dominant on the fretboard.
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
RootChord tone (1 3 5 7)Scale toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 5. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Your next 10 minutes
Make D Lydian dominant part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play D – E – F♯ as two eighth notes and a quarter note, then rest for two beats. Answer with C – B – A. Use the space to hear the phrase before repeating it.
Hear it in context
Hold or repeat D as a drone. Play each note of D Lydian dominant above it, pausing on E and C. Compare their tension with the root. Then improvise using only three notes and two rhythms.
Listen for this: dominant chords that do not resolve down a fifth — tritone substitutes, IV7, and 7♯11 chords. Treat the scale as a palette, not a requirement to play every note. If a note clashes with a chord or melody, resolve it deliberately or leave it out.
Understand the sound
D Lydian dominant: from a pattern to a musical choice
Hear G♯ in context
The raised fourth adds brightness while the flat seventh keeps the dominant identity. Sustain those colours separately over the same bass.
In D Lydian dominant, degree ♯4 is G♯. Play D, then G♯, then D again. Sing the middle note before touching the instrument.
A mistake to avoid
Do not confuse this with the altered scale: the natural fifth and sixth remain available here.
Slow the player to 60 bpm. Record one short phrase and check whether its ending sounds deliberate. Increase the tempo only when you can repeat it without losing the pulse.
D Lydian dominant versus D Mixolydian
Shared pitches: D, E, F♯, A, B, C. Pitches in D Lydian dominant outside the comparison scale: G♯. Compare the sounds over the same root, at the same tempo.
Play D Mixolydian on guitar →Your guitar checkpoint
Start with D on string 5, fret 5. The next note E is on string 5, fret 7. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On piano
The same scale on the keyboard.
Reference
D Lydian dominant — notes, degrees & intervals.
| Degree | Note | Interval from D | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | E | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | F♯ | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W |
| ♯4 | G♯ | augmented 4th (6 semitones) | H |
| 5 | A | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | W |
| 6 | B | major 6th (9 semitones) | H |
| ♭7 | C | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: D7♯11 (D – F♯ – A – C). Use it for: dominant chords that do not resolve down a fifth — tritone substitutes, IV7, and 7♯11 chords.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play D Lydian dominant over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
D Lydian dominant FAQ.
What are the notes of the D Lydian dominant scale?
D E F♯ G♯ A B C. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7. It has 7 notes.
What chords does D Lydian dominant work over?
D Lydian dominant fits D7♯11 and, more generally, dominant chords that do not resolve down a fifth — tritone substitutes, IV7, and 7♯11 chords.
What is the formula of the Lydian dominant scale?
1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is W W W H W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
How do I play D Lydian dominant on guitar?
Start on the root D on the A string at fret 5, and play the one-octave position shown: A-string fret 5, A-string fret 7, A-string fret 9, D-string fret 6, D-string fret 7, D-string fret 9, G-string fret 5, G-string fret 7. Every D on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Lydian dominant in every other key.
Same scale on piano · all Lydian dominant pages: Lydian dominant hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from D