Guitar UpscaleOvertone (Lydian Dominant) scale on guitar
The overtone scale is Lydian with a flat seventh, also called Lydian dominant or the acoustic scale.
| Notes in A | A B C# D# E F# G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7 |
| Steps | W W W H W H W (W whole step, H half step) |
| Note count | 7 |
| Style in the app | Special, scale "Overtone" |
Play A Overtone (Lydian Dominant) on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale
About the Overtone (Lydian Dominant) scale
The notes are root, 2nd, 3rd, raised 4th, 5th, 6th and flat 7th. It is the fourth mode of melodic minor.
Its notes come close to the natural overtones of a vibrating string, hence the name.
Jazz players use it over a dominant 7th chord with a #11. Many TV and cartoon themes use it for a bright, quirky sound.
Intervals from the root
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | In A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A |
| 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | B |
| 3 | Major 3rd | 4 | C# |
| #4 | Tritone | 6 | D# |
| 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | E |
| 6 | Major 6th | 9 | F# |
| b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | G |
Chords in A Overtone (Lydian Dominant)
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each note. These chords sound at home with the scale, so they make good progressions.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | A | A7 |
| II | B | B7 |
| iii° | C#dim | C#m7b5 |
| #iv° | D#dim | D#m7b5 |
| v | Em | EmMaj7 |
| vi | F#m | F#m7 |
| bVII+ | Gaug | Gmaj7#5 |
Same notes, another starting note
Start the A Overtone (Lydian Dominant) scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:
- From degree 2 (B): B Hindu (Mixolydian b6)
- From degree 3 (C#): C# Locrian #2 (Half Diminished)
- From degree #4 (D#): D# Diminished Whole Tone
- From degree 5 (E): E Melodic Minor
- From degree 6 (F#): F# Javanese (Dorian b2)
- From degree b7 (G): G Lydian Augmented
Overtone (Lydian Dominant) in every key
| Key | Notes | Play it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C D E F# G A Bb | Open |
| Db | Db Eb F G Ab Bb Cb | Open |
| D | D E F# G# A B C | Open |
| Eb | Eb F G A Bb C Db | Open |
| E | E F# G# A# B C# D | Open |
| F | F G A B C D Eb | Open |
| F# | F# G# A# B# C# D# E | Open |
| G | G A B C# D E F | Open |
| Ab | Ab Bb C D Eb F Gb | Open |
| A | A B C# D# E F# G | Open |
| Bb | Bb C D E F G Ab | Open |
| B | B C# D# E# F# G# A | Open |
More Special scales
- Chromatic Scale
- Whole Tone Scale
- Leading Whole Tone
- Diminished (Whole Half)
- Diminished (Half Whole)
- Diminished Whole Tone
- Octatonic Scale
- Augmented Scale
- Enigmatic Scale
- Nine Tone Scale
- Six Tone Symmetrical
- Altered Scale (Super Locrian)
- Lydian Diminished
- Lydian #2
- Locrian #2 (Half Diminished)
- Locrian Natural 6
- Ultralocrian
- Ionian #5