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A Lydian Dominant Scale for Bass

Notes: A B C# D# E F# G · interactive fretboard

A Lydian Dominant

4th mode of Melodic Minor, bright dominant with #11

GDAE123456789101112131415ABC#D#EF#GAD#EF#GABC#D#EBC#D#EF#GABF#GABC#D#EF#G
Root (A)
Blue Note (♭5)
Scale Notes
Click empty = outside note
Notes:
ABC#D#EF#G

About the A Lydian Dominant Scale

The A lydian dominant scale is a 7-note scale. 4th mode of Melodic Minor, bright dominant with #11. Its notes are A, B, C#, D#, E, F# and G, built from the formula 1 2 3 ♭5 5 6 ♭7.

Notes
A – B – C# – D# – E – F# – G
Formula
1 2 3 ♭5 5 6 ♭7
Steps
W W W H W H W (2–2–2–1–2–1–2 semitones)
Root
A

A Lydian Dominant Scale degrees and intervals

DegreeNoteInterval
1ARoot
2BMajor 2nd
3C#Major 3rd
♭5D#Tritone (♭5)
5EPerfect 5th
6F#Major 6th
♭7GMinor 7th

Where to play the A Lydian Dominant Scale on bass

Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (E A D G), lowest string first. Root notes (A) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.

StringFrets
E10, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12
A10, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12
D21, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11
G20, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

How to practice the lydian dominant scale

  • Use over 7#11 chords
  • Practice over static dominant vamps
  • Work on tritone substitution lines
  • Emphasize the #4 for the bright sound
  • Great for non-resolving dominant chords

Scales with the same notes as A Lydian Dominant Scale

These scales share every note with the A lydian dominant scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.

Lydian Dominant scale in other keys

Other scales in A

A Lydian Dominant Scale on other instruments