Lydian Dominant b6 Mode on Guitar: Notes, Chords & Examples

  • May 21, 2026

The Lydian Augmented Dominant mode is a bright, tense, futuristic-sounding mode with a strong fusion and progressive flavor.

It combines three powerful colors:

  • The major 3rd gives it a confident dominant sound.
  • The #4 gives it that floating Lydian quality.
  • The #5 adds an unstable augmented tension.
  • The b7 makes it feel dominant, bluesy, and unresolved.

The result is a mode that sounds wide, strange, modern, and dramatic. It is not as common as Mixolydian, Dorian, or Lydian Dominant, but it is extremely useful for guitarists who like advanced dominant sounds, fusion lines, progressive metal riffs, and unusual chord colors.

Think of it as a more intense version of Lydian Dominant, with the natural 5 raised to a #5.

Formula

The interval formula for C Lydian Augmented Dominant is:

1 2 3 #4 #5 6 b7

In interval names:

Root, major 2nd, major 3rd, augmented 4th, augmented 5th, major 6th, minor 7th

Compared to C major:

C major: C D E F G A B C Lydian Augmented Dominant: C D E F# G# A Bb

So the altered notes are:

  • F# instead of F
  • G# instead of G
  • Bb instead of B

Notes in C

The notes of C Lydian Augmented Dominant are:

C D E F# G# A Bb

Scale degrees:

DegreeNote
1C
2D
3E
#4F#
#5G#
6A
b7Bb

This mode is the 3rd mode of Neapolitan Major.

In practical guitar terms, you can use it over dominant chords with both #5 and #11 colors.

The Chord That Defines the Mode

The defining chord of C Lydian Augmented Dominant is:

C7#5#11

Chord tones:

C E G# Bb F#

That gives you:

  • C = root
  • E = major 3rd
  • G# = #5
  • Bb = b7
  • F# = #11 / #4

This chord captures the mode because it includes the most important color tones:

  • The b7 makes it dominant.
  • The #11 gives it the Lydian sound.
  • The #5 gives it the augmented, unstable sound.

You can also think of the full color as:

C9#5#11(13)

Using the available extensions:

  • D = 9
  • F# = #11
  • A = 13

For guitarists, this mode works especially well when you are playing over a static dominant chord like:

C7#5, C7#5#11, C9#5#11, or C13#5#11

The important thing is to avoid leaning too hard on a natural G, because this mode uses G#, not G.

Chord Progressions

Because C Lydian Augmented Dominant is an advanced synthetic mode, it works best when the harmony keeps returning to C as the tonal center.

A C drone, C pedal tone, or repeated C bass note will help the listener hear the mode clearly.

Progression 1

Roman numerals:

I7#5#11 – II7/I – I7#5#11 – bVIImaj7#5/I

Chords in C:

C7#5#11 – D7/C – C7#5#11 – Bbmaj7#5/C

This is a very fusion-friendly vamp.

The D7/C chord keeps the C bass underneath while bringing out the notes D, F#, A, and C. That emphasizes the 2, #4, 6, and root of the mode.

The Bbmaj7#5/C chord sounds mysterious and cinematic because it contains:

Bb D F# A

Against C, those notes create a beautiful dominant/Lydian tension.

Mood:

  • Modern
  • Floating
  • Fusion-oriented
  • Slightly alien

Progression 2

Roman numerals:

I7#5 – vi(mMaj7)/I – #ivø7/I – I7#5#11

Chords in C:

C7#5 – Am(maj7)/C – F#m7b5/C – C7#5#11

This progression has a darker, more progressive sound.

The Am(maj7) chord comes directly from the mode:

A C E G#

That G# is important because it reinforces the #5 of C.

The F#m7b5 chord gives you:

F# A C E

That strongly highlights the #4, which is one of the most important notes in the mode.

Mood:

  • Cinematic
  • Dark but not minor
  • Progressive rock/metal friendly
  • Great for clean arpeggios or distorted chord fragments

Progression 3

Roman numerals:

I7#5#11 – bVIImaj7#5 – II7 – I7#5#11

Chords in C:

C7#5#11 – Bbmaj7#5 – D7 – C7#5#11

This one has a bold jazz-rock sound.

The movement from C7#5#11 to Bbmaj7#5 gives a strong chromatic dominant color without fully resolving in a traditional way.

The D7 chord adds brightness and momentum before returning to the tense C dominant sound.

Mood:

  • Jazz fusion
  • Progressive
  • Bright but unstable
  • Great for odd-meter riffs

Famous Songs and Guitarists Using C Lydian Augmented Dominant

C Lydian Augmented Dominant is an obscure mode, so there are not many famous songs that can honestly be described as being clearly “in C Lydian Augmented Dominant” from start to finish.

It is more commonly used as a chord-scale color over dominant chords such as:

7#5#11, 9#5#11, or 13#5#11

Rather than being the main key of an entire song.

That said, this type of sound is commonly associated with advanced fusion and modern guitar vocabulary. You may hear similar colors in the playing or harmonic language of artists such as:

  • Allan Holdsworth — commonly associated with fluid synthetic scale sounds and advanced dominant harmony.
  • Frank Gambale — fusion lines often explore altered dominant and Lydian dominant-style colors.
  • Scott Henderson — uses modern dominant sounds in blues-fusion contexts.
  • Frank Zappa — frequently explored unusual synthetic and dominant harmonic colors, though not necessarily this exact mode as a fixed tonal center.

For listening, it is better to search for moments built around dominant #5/#11 chords rather than expecting a well-known rock song to be entirely based on this mode.

Guitar Fretboard Shape

Here is a practical C Lydian Augmented Dominant shape around the 8th–14th frets.

Notes:

C D E F# G# A Bb

e|-------------------------10-12-14-|
B|------------------10-11-13--------|
G|-------------9-11-13--------------|
D|-------8-10-12--------------------|
A|-9-11-12--------------------------|
E|-8-10-12--------------------------|

Starting note:

  • Low E string, 8th fret = C

Try playing this slowly over a C drone or a C7#5#11 vamp.

Do not just run it up and down. Spend time hearing the character of these notes:

  • E = major 3rd
  • F# = #4 / #11
  • G# = #5
  • Bb = b7

Those are the notes that make the mode sound like itself.

Why Guitarists Love This Mode

Guitarists who enjoy modern harmony can get a lot out of C Lydian Augmented Dominant.

Emotional Flavor

This mode sounds:

  • Bright
  • Tense
  • Unresolved
  • Futuristic
  • Dramatic
  • Slightly “outside”

It has a major quality because of the E, but it does not sound happy or simple. The #4, #5, and b7 pull it into a more advanced dominant world.

Riff Potential

For riffs, the mode gives you strong interval shapes:

  • C to F# = tritone
  • C to G# = augmented 5th
  • E to Bb = tritone
  • F# to C = tritone

These intervals are perfect for:

  • Progressive metal riffs
  • Angular fusion lines
  • Dissonant chord stabs
  • Odd-meter grooves
  • Sci-fi sounding melodies

Instead of using standard power chords, try riffing with dyads like:

  • C and F#
  • C and G#
  • E and Bb
  • F# and A

These will sound much more connected to the mode than basic 5th-based power chords.

Soloing Applications

C Lydian Augmented Dominant works well over:

  • C7#5
  • C7#5#11
  • C9#5#11
  • C13#5#11

For soloing, target the strongest color tones:

  • F# for the Lydian sound
  • G# for the augmented sound
  • Bb for the dominant sound
  • E for major/dominant clarity

If you resolve phrases to C too often, the mode may sound less tense. Try ending lines on F#, G#, or Bb for a more modern sound.

Genres Where It Works Well

This mode fits especially well in:

  • Jazz fusion
  • Progressive rock
  • Progressive metal
  • Experimental rock
  • Modern jazz
  • Film/game scoring
  • Technical instrumental guitar music

It is not a “campfire chord progression” mode. It shines when you want color, tension, and sophistication.

Tips for Practicing

Use a C Drone

Start with a simple C drone.

You can use:

  • A looper pedal
  • A synth drone
  • A bass note in your DAW
  • An open low C if you tune down
  • A sustained C power source from a plugin

Play the scale slowly and listen to how each note feels against C.

Pay special attention to:

  • F# = floating tension
  • G# = augmented instability
  • Bb = dominant pull

Build Chord Vamps

Try looping one of these vamps:

Vamp 1:

C7#5#11 – D7/C

Vamp 2:

C7#5 – Bbmaj7#5/C

Vamp 3:

C7#5#11 – Am(maj7)/C – F#m7b5/C

Keep the bass on C if the harmony starts to feel too abstract.

Improvise with Small Motifs

Do not begin by shredding the whole scale.

Try 3-note and 4-note cells:

  • C E F#
  • E F# G#
  • G# A Bb
  • F# G# Bb
  • C E G# Bb

Repeat them rhythmically.

Move them across strings.

Change the ending note each time.

Target the Important Intervals

The identity notes are:

  • 3 = E
  • #4 = F#
  • #5 = G#
  • b7 = Bb

A strong phrase might outline the defining chord:

C E G# Bb F#

That is basically the sound of C7#5#11 in melodic form.

Try This Mode in SLModes

Try exploring C Lydian Augmented Dominant in SLModes.

SLModes helps you hear and visualize the mode through:

  • Interactive chords
  • Guitar fretboard layouts
  • Modal modulation tools
  • Scale and chord relationships
  • Negative harmony exploration

For a mode this colorful, it helps to see the fretboard, hear the chord tones, and experiment with different modal centers.

Load up C Lydian Augmented Dominant, loop a C7#5#11 sound, and start targeting the notes that make the mode come alive: F#, G#, and Bb.