Chord & FretLydian augmented (C)
The 3rd mode of the melodic minor — that is, the same notes heard from the 3rd degree up. It is Lydian pushed even higher: besides the raised 4th, which gives the mode its 'floating' feel, the 5th also goes up a half step, lifting everything into a suspended, almost weightless shine. It fits maj7(#5) chords — major seventh chords with a raised fifth, the ones that never quite seem to land. Beyond that color in jazz and modern writing, it shows up more in composition and analysis than in everyday repertoire.
Example: C – D – E – F# – G# – A – BFormula: 1 – 2 – 3 – #4 – #5 – 6 – 7In the formula, the numbers are degrees — positions counted in the reference major scale; "b" lowers a half step and "#" raises one.
Family: Melodic (jazz) minor and its modes.
The jazz-minor modes are central to jazz and sophisticated harmony. The #2/b3/#5 spelling is functional: enharmonically some notes sound the same, but the notation marks the tension they represent.
Chords in the harmonic field
These are the seven chords born from this scale — one built on each of its notes. Put another way: the set of chords that sounds naturally "inside" the scale. See the harmonic field of every key →
Cmaj7#5D7E7F#m7b5G#m7b5Am(maj7)Bm7The same scale on all four instruments
In the diagrams, each dot carries its scale degree — 1 is the tonic, highlighted.
Each instrument above shows one box of Lydian augmented — a slice of the whole neck. In Chord & Fret, you press play and watch each note light up on the diagram the instant it sounds; walk the scale's positions along the whole neck; and choose to start from the tonic or play the full box. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. 100% offline. See it in Chord & Fret →