A Lydian Dominant Scale
Notes in the A Lydian Dominant Scale
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A | 440.000 Hz |
| 2 | Supertonic | B | 493.883 Hz |
| 3 | Mediant | C# | 277.183 Hz |
| ♯4 | Lydian 4th | D# | 311.127 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | E | 329.628 Hz |
| 6 | Submediant | F# | 369.994 Hz |
| ♭7 | Subtonic | G | 391.995 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | A | B |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | B | C# |
| 3 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | C# | D# |
| 4 | Half Step (H) | 1 | D# | E |
| 5 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E | F# |
| 6 | Half Step (H) | 1 | F# | G |
| 7 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | G | A |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A | major |
| 2 | B | B | major |
| 3 | C# | C# diminished | diminished |
| ♯4 | D# | D# diminished | diminished |
| 5 | E | E minor | minor |
| 6 | F# | F# minor | minor |
| ♭7 | G | G augmented | augmented |
Key Signature
3 ♯ — The A key signature uses F#, C#, G#.
A Lydian Dominant Scale in Practice
The A Lydian Dominant Scale uses the key signature of 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#). A major has three sharps (F#, C#, G#) and a bright, clear sound. It is extremely common in popular music and rock, particularly on guitar, and is easily sung by most voices. On guitar, A positions offer open-string resonance for fingering positions for this scale.
The Lydian Dominant scale (mode IV of melodic minor) combines the raised 4th of Lydian with the flat 7th of Mixolydian. It is the preferred jazz scale for unresolved dominant chords.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
| B | 493.883 Hz | 495.000 Hz | 490.548 Hz |
| C# | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| D# | 311.127 Hz | 309.026 Hz | 313.951 Hz |
| E | 329.628 Hz | 330.001 Hz | 327.032 Hz |
| F# | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| G | 391.995 Hz | 391.111 Hz | 392.438 Hz |
Related Scales
Guitar: A Lydian Dominant Scale Positions
The A key offers 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#) on guitar. Sharp-side keys like A are idiomatic guitar keys because open strings (E, A, D, G, B, E) align with the scale's natural resonance points.