STRINGSCALES

A lydian dominant b6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, G, A, B, C#, D#, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

A string: A, B, C#, D#, E, F, G, A at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

D string: D#, E, F, G, A, B, C# at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11

G string: G, A, B, C#, D#, E, F, G at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12

B string: B, C#, D#, E, F, G, A, B at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

High E string: E, F, G, A, B, C#, D#, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

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A lydian dominant b6

The lydian dominant b6 scale, the fourth mode of the neapolitan major scale, is lydian dominant with its 6th lowered, the same collection catalogued as the lydian minor scale. Bright #4 below, dark b6 and b7 above: a dominant color that promises resolution to minor. It fits 7#11b13 chords and film-score cadences.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A

I

Amaj
B

II

Bmaj♭5
C♯

iii°

C♯dim
D♯

#IV

F7no5/D♯
E

v

Em
F

bVI+

Faug
G

bVII+

Gaug

Same notes, different mode

A lydian dominant b6 uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

B major locrianC# half-diminished b4D# altered dominant double b3E neapolitan majorF leading whole toneG lydian augmented dominant

lydian dominant b6 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Bright below, dark above: feature #IV (D#) rising against b6 (F) falling, the scale's push-pull, over a dominant chord on A.
  • Use it on a V7#11 resolving to minor: the b6 (F) pre-hears the minor destination the same way mixolydian b6 (F) does.
  • The same collection is catalogued as lydian minor; whichever name you reach it by, III and bVII (G) remain the guide tones.
  • As the fourth mode of neapolitan major, it shares all notes with the neapolitan major a 4th below A.

How to play A lydian dominant b6 on guitar

Open A is the root and both E strings the fifth, so three of the six strings pedal on their own. Five of the six open strings belong. Fretted roots start at fret 2 on the G string, which means an anchor sits low even with the low E root at fret 5. Box one ends at fret 9, and the five chord is minor, Em.

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