E Lydian Minor Guitar Scale

E Lydian Minor Scale — Notes and Intervals

The E Lydian Minor scale is a unique scale that blends Lydian brightness with a layer of minor-key melancholy. On Guitar, the notes are E, F#, G#, A#, B, C, D. It provides a sophisticated, bittersweet color that is perfect for modern film scores and emotive jazz solos. Commonly used in Film Scores, Jazz, Progressive. Notable players include Danny Elfman, Brad Mehldau. Use over m7#11 chords. A specialized color for emotive jazz and cinematic passages that need emotional complexity.

Notes: E, F#, G#, A#, B, C, D

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4A, 5P, 6m, 7m

Degrees: 1 2 3 #4 5 b6 b7

Formula: W-W-W-H-H-W-W

Number of notes: 7

Musical Character

Lydian brightness (#4) meets minor melancholy (b3, b7) — a sophisticated contradiction. Sounds like hope filtered through sadness.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Film Scores, Jazz, Progressive

Notable players: Danny Elfman, Brad Mehldau

How to Use the E Lydian Minor Scale

Use over m7#11 chords. A specialized color for emotive jazz and cinematic passages that need emotional complexity.

Origin & Background

A synthetic scale used in modern film scoring and jazz for bittersweet emotional coloring.

How to Play E Lydian Minor on Guitar

Start the E Lydian Minor scale in open position, taking advantage of the open E string. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is open position.

The E Lydian Minor scale contains 3 sharps (F#, G#, A#). Its relative major is G# major, which shares the same key signature.

Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing

Begin by playing the E Lydian Minor scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (E-G#, F#-A#) 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 E to let the characteristic intervals of the Lydian Minor scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in film scores contexts.

Guitar Tips

Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the E Lydian Minor scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently. Aim for a bittersweet quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

• E Lydian
• E Dorian
• E Lydian dominant

The E Lydian Minor scale contains 7 notes (E, F#, G#, A#, B, C, D). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for E Lydian Minor

The E Lydian Minor 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 E Lydian Minor Further

• Harmonize the E Lydian Minor scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• E Lydian Minor on Ukulele
• E Lydian Minor on Bass
• E Lydian Minor on Piano

Explore E Lydian Minor in Other Tunings

• E Lydian Minor in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• E Lydian Minor in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• E Lydian Minor in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• E Lydian Minor in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• E Lydian Minor in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• E Lydian Minor in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• E Lydian Minor in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• E Lydian Minor in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• E Lydian Minor in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• E Lydian Minor in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• E Lydian Minor in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• E Lydian Minor in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• E Lydian Minor in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• E Lydian Minor in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

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