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F♯ lydian pentatonic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E#, F#, A#, B#, C# at frets 1, 2, 6, 8, 9

A string: A#, B#, C#, E#, F# at frets 1, 3, 4, 8, 9

D string: E#, F#, A#, B#, C# at frets 3, 4, 8, 10, 11

G string: A#, B#, C#, E#, F# at frets 3, 5, 6, 10, 11

B string: B#, C#, E#, F#, A# at frets 1, 2, 6, 7, 11

High E string: E#, F#, A#, B#, C# at frets 1, 2, 6, 8, 9

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F# lydian pentatonic

The lydian pentatonic, catalogued in some collections as the chinese scale, is root, major 3rd, raised 4th, 5th, major 7th. It compresses the lydian mode's floating #4 and leading tone into five notes that outline a maj7#11 chord. Sparse and bright, it turns a static major 7th vamp into something wide open.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

F♯

I

A♯

III

B♯

#IV

C♯

V

E♯

VII

Same notes, different mode

F# lydian pentatonic 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.

A# hirajoshiB# iwatoE# kumoijoshi

lydian pentatonic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • A maj7#11 in five notes: root, III, #IV (C), V, VII; sustain any of them over a major chord on F# and nothing clashes.
  • Feature the #IV (C) to V half step and the VII to root resolution: two leading motions in one sparse scale.
  • Some catalogues call it the chinese scale; its wide-open 3rds invite double-stop playing in F#.
  • Use it to state lydian color instantly, one phrase of these five notes over a maj7 chord says #11 louder than a full modal run.

How to play F♯ lydian pentatonic on guitar

Not a single open string belongs to this key, letting nothing ring for free and putting every note under a finger from fret 2 up. Roots sit at 2 on both E strings, 4 on the D, 7 on the B, 9 on the A and 11 on the G, which puts the roots nearest the nut on the two E strings rather than anywhere inside. Capo 2 turns this into E fingerings. Box one covers 2 through 5.

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