Melodic MinorDegree 3

Lydian Augmented

Iridescent white-gold, like sunlight through a prism. Expanded and slightly surreal.

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Scale NotesLydian Augmented in C
C
D
E
F♯
G♯
A
B
Interval Formula
123♯4♯567
Primary Chord
The tonic chord built from this mode
Cmaj7♯5

Chord Tones

CEG♯B

All Diatonic Chords

Cmaj7♯5D7Em7F♯m7♭5G♯m7♭5Am(maj7)Bm7
Chord Voicings
Guitar voicings for Cmaj7♯5
Cmaj7♯58Root, 7, 3, #5. Shimmering augmented major 7th.
Cmaj7♯5Root, 3, 7, root, ♯5. Full augmented maj7 from 5th string.
Cmaj7♯54Root, 3, 7, ♯5. Augmented maj7 on top strings.
Fretboard

Lydian Augmented in C

123456789101112131415EADGBeEF♯G♯ABCDEF♯ABCDEF♯G♯ABCDEF♯G♯ABCDEG♯ABCDEF♯G♯ABCDEF♯G♯ABCDEF♯G♯ABCDEF♯
RootCharacteristic toneScale tone
Listen
Audio. Lydian Augmented in C
Tempo:
180 BPM

Musical Context

Diatonic Context
Chords built from the A melodic minor scale — click any chord for voicings
Where to Use Lydian Augmented
Primary Chord
Cmaj7♯5
Function
Tonic Substitute
Key Context
The III⁺ chord in A melodic minor

Lydian pushed even further.

Related Chord Voicings
Extensions, substitutions, and simplifications for Cmaj7♯5

Simplified Voicings

Example Progressions
Progressions where Lydian Augmented applies (in C)
III⁺
III⁺: Cmaj7♯5

Static major 7th chord with Lydian color.

Practice in Play Along →
III⁺ → vi°
III⁺: Cmaj7♯5vi°: F♯m7♭5

The augmented fifth resolves down by half step to the natural fifth of the VI chord.

Practice in Play Along →
III⁺ → IV
III⁺: Cmaj7♯5IV: D7

Two chords moving by whole step from the augmented III.

Practice in Play Along →
III⁺ → vii° → III⁺
III⁺: Cmaj7♯5vii°: G♯m7♭5III⁺: Cmaj7♯5

The augmented III chord creates instability that resolves through the vii° chord and back.

Practice in Play Along →
III⁺ → ii
III⁺: Cmaj7♯5ii: Bm7

Augmented chord with the bass dropping by half step to the ii chord.

Practice in Play Along →
Arpeggio Connection
The arpeggio that matches the Cmaj7♯5 chord
Augmented Major 7th
Cmaj7♯5
Tones
C
R
E
3
G♯
#5
B
7
Highlighted = guide tones (define chord quality)

Sound

Lydian pushed even further. the ♯5 adds an unsettling, stretched quality on top of Lydian's dreaminess. It sounds expansive, otherworldly, and slightly unhinged in the most beautiful way.

Practical Use Cases

  • ●Over maj7♯5 chords
  • ●Creating 'stretched' or surreal major sounds
  • ●Augmented chord passages
  • ●Wayne Shorter-style compositions

Practical Notes

This is Lydian with a ♯5. two raised notes that push the brightness to an extreme. You'll encounter it over maj7♯5 chords, which come up in Wayne Shorter tunes and modern jazz. It's the third mode of melodic minor, so if you're playing over an E♭maj7♯5 in a tune, think C melodic minor. Not an everyday scale, but knowing it opens up sophisticated harmonic territory.

majoraugmentedbrightadvancedmodern-jazz

Practice Drills

Ascending & Descending in One PositionBeginnerTechnique
5 min

Play the mode ascending and descending within a single five-fret box. Build muscle memory and connect the sound to the shape.

Three-Notes-Per-String PatternsIntermediateTechnique
10 min

Play the mode using three notes on every string, stretching across the neck. Great for building legato technique and hearing the scale in a linear way.

Emphasize Characteristic Tones on Strong BeatsIntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Create short melodic phrases that land the mode's characteristic tone(s) on beats 1 and 3. This trains you to bring out the sound that defines the mode.

Improvise Over a Matching ChordBeginnerImprovisation
5 min

Play the mode's parent chord as a loop (or use a backing track) and improvise over it for two minutes. This connects the mode to its harmonic context.

Create 3 Licks Using Only Strings 1–3IntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Compose three short licks (2–4 beats each) using only the top three strings. This forces creativity within a constraint and builds upper-register vocabulary.

Resolve from Tension to StabilityIntermediateEar Training
8 min

Practice approaching chord tones from a half step above or below, training your ear to hear tension resolve.

Try Lydian Augmented in Play Along

Practice improvising over real chord changes with guided scale and target note suggestions.

Compare With

Lydian vs Lydian Augmented
Both feature the signature raised 4th, but Lydian Augmented also raises the 5th, creating an even more open and unstable major sound from the melodic minor family.
Ionian ♯5 vs Lydian Augmented
Two augmented major scales from different families. Both have a ♯5, but they come from harmonic minor and melodic minor respectively, and the 4th degree changes their practical value significantly.

Related Modes

LydianIonian ♯5

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