A Lydian ♯2 Scale on Guitar — 2 Shapes to Play the Whole Neck
A Lydian ♯2 belongs to the harmonic minor mode family — every mode in it inherits the three-semitone augmented second that gives harmonic minor its distinctive sound, though each mode places that gap on a different pair of degrees. Its notes are A B# C# D# E F# G#, from the formula 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7. Computed live for this exact root, it resolves to 2 repeating shapes across the fretboard.
A Lydian ♯2 Scale Notes
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 1 |
| 2 | B# | #2 |
| 3 | C# | 3 |
| 4 | D# | #4 |
| 5 | E | 5 |
| 6 | F# | 6 |
| 7 | G# | 7 |
A Lydian ♯2 Formula
Degree formula: 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7
A Lydian ♯2 on the Guitar Fretboard
The notes of Lydian ♯2 repeat across the guitar fretboard in connected positions. Use the shape below to identify root notes, scale degrees, and neighboring shapes.
- Frets 2–12 (span 10 frets)
- Lowest note F#, highest note E
- 3 A root notes, on the E string (fret 5), D string (fret 7), B string (fret 10)
How to practice this shape
- Start on the root — A at fret 5 on the E string. Play up to the highest note in the shape, then back down, staying inside frets 2–12.
- Your hand shifts 5 times as you cross strings: E→A (+1), A→D (+1), D→G (+1), G→B (+2), B→E (+1). Those crossings — not the notes — are what this position is really asking you to learn.
- Once it feels automatic, move on to the next of the 2 shapes — together they cover the whole neck, and the same pattern repeats from there.
Diatonic chords
These are the 7 chords built from A Lydian ♯2's own notes — the ones that will sound like they belong when you're writing a progression, backing a melody, or jamming in this key. The Roman numeral shows each chord's role in the key: capital for major, lowercase for minor, ° for diminished, + for augmented. Not every scale produces a clean chord on every degree — where that happens, we show it honestly instead of forcing a name that doesn't fit.
A Lydian ♯2 Scale Relationships
- Parent scale: C# Harmonic Minor
A Lydian ♯2 FAQ
A Lydian ♯2 contains the notes A, B#, C#, D#, E, F#, G#.
A Lydian ♯2 is a mode of C# Harmonic Minor.
A Lydian ♯2 has a natural (major) 3rd degree, giving it a major character. It's derived from C# Harmonic Minor.
The diatonic chords in A Lydian ♯2 are A, B#dim, C#m, D#dim, Eaug, F#m, G#.