A Lydian Dominant Charango Scale
Charango scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
A Lydian Dominant Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A Lydian Dominant scale, also known as the Acoustic scale, sounds bright, quirky, and dominant all at once. On Charango, its notes are A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G. It is widely used in jazz and animation music to solo over dominant chords that do not resolve in the traditional way. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Blues, Film Scores. Notable players include Frank Zappa, Larry Carlton, Pat Metheny. Use over 7#11, 9#11 chords. Ideal for non-resolving dominant chords (the 'Simpsons chord'). Gives a sophisticated twist to blues progressions.
Notes: A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4A, 5P, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7
Formula: W-W-W-H-W-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: lydian b7, overtone
Musical Character
Combines Lydian's floating brightness (#4) with Mixolydian's bluesy dominance (b7). The result is a scale that is both dreamy and grounded — bright without being sweet.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Blues, Film Scores
Notable players: Frank Zappa, Larry Carlton, Pat Metheny
How to Use the A Lydian Dominant Scale
Use over 7#11, 9#11 chords. Ideal for non-resolving dominant chords (the 'Simpsons chord'). Gives a sophisticated twist to blues progressions.
Origin & Background
Also called the Acoustic scale or Overtone scale because it closely matches the natural harmonic series.
How to Play A Lydian Dominant on Charango
Begin by locating A on your instrument and play through the 7 notes of the Lydian Dominant scale slowly, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing speed.
The A Lydian Dominant scale contains 3 sharps (C#, D#, F#). Its relative minor is F# minor, which shares the same notes.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the A Lydian Dominant scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A-C#, B-D#) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on A to let the characteristic intervals of the Lydian Dominant scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in film scores contexts.
Charango Tips
Practice the A Lydian Dominant scale slowly and evenly on your instrument, focusing on tone quality for each of the 7 notes before building speed. Aim for a bright quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
Lydian Dominant is the 4th mode of the Melodic Minor scale (Acoustic scale). View A Melodic minor scale
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- ii – bII7 – I (Tritone Substitution)Jazz / Soul — Mystery & Tension
- iv – ♭VII – I (Backdoor Cadence)Jazz / Soul — Soulful & Unexpected
The A Lydian Dominant scale contains 7 notes (A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Charango with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Lydian Dominant
The A Lydian Dominant scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore A Lydian Dominant Further
- Browse chord progressions
- A Lydian Dominant on Guitar
- A Lydian Dominant on Ukulele
- A Lydian Dominant on Bass
- A Lydian Dominant on Piano