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E A D G B E
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Chords in C Lydian

C Lydian is built from the notes C, D, E, F#, G, A and B. Its scale carries 1 sharp. Harmonising that scale in thirds gives seven chords — 3 majors, 3 minors and 1 diminished — starting on C as the I. The chord on the fifth degree is G, a major V, so C Lydian has the leading tone that makes a G-to-C cadence sound final.

Beyond those seven, C Lydian commonly borrows Cm (i), Ddim (iiø), Eb (bIII), Fm (iv) and Gm (v) from the parallel minor — the mixture chords that give a progression somewhere unexpected to go.

The seven chords

IC
C major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 3, fret 2, open, fret 1, open. Frets are relative to the capo.
x32010IID
D major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, muted, open, fret 2, fret 3, fret 2. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 2, strings 4 to 6.
xx0232iiiEm
E minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: open, fret 2, fret 2, open, open, open. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 2, strings 2 to 3.
022000#ivøF#dim
F# diminished, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 2, fret 3, fret 4, fret 2, muted, muted. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 2, strings 1 to 4.
2342xxVG
G major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 3, fret 2, open, open, open, fret 3. Frets are relative to the capo.
320003viAm
A minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, open, fret 2, fret 2, fret 1, open. Frets are relative to the capo.
x02210viiBm
B minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 2, open, fret 4, open, fret 2. Frets are relative to the capo.
x20402

Extended to four notes each, the same seven degrees give Cmaj7, D7, Em7, F#m7b5, Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7.

Borrowed chords

iCm
C minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 3, fret 1, open, fret 1, fret 3. Frets are relative to the capo.
x31013iiøDdim
D diminished, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, muted, open, fret 1, fret 3, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 1, strings 4 to 6.
xx0131bIIIEb
Eb major, position 4, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 6, fret 5, open, fret 4, fret 6. Frets are relative to the capo.4fr
x65046ivFm
F minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 1, fret 3, fret 3, fret 1, fret 1, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 1, strings 1 to 6.
133111vGm
G minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 3, fret 1, open, open, fret 3, fret 3. Frets are relative to the capo.
310033bVIAb
Ab major, position 4, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 4, fret 6, fret 6, fret 5, fret 4, fret 4. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 4, strings 1 to 6.4fr
466544bVIIBb
Bb major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 1, open, fret 3, fret 3, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo.
x10331
Capo

Play C Lydian with no capo — its own shapes are already the easiest ones.

All eight capo positions for C Lydian →

Related keys

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