Lydian Augmented is a major scale with both #4 and #5. It sounds floating, expansive, and otherworldly - like Lydian but even more ungrounded due to the augmented 5th.
Scale Formula
1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7 - Lydian with raised 5th. Semitone pattern: W W W W H W H
Fretboard (C Lydian Augmented)
Use the interval toggle above the fretboard to see both the #4 and #5. With two raised degrees, nothing anchors the sound - neither the 4th nor the 5th provides the stable consonance your ear expects.
Common Chords
Augmented triad (1 3 #5), Major 7th#5 (1 3 #5 7), Major 7th#5#11.
Diatonic Harmony
Improvisation Context
Play over major 7th#5 chords. Works well as a substitute for Lydian when you want an even more colorful, ambiguous sound.
Practice
Play C Lydian Augmented over a Cmaj7#5 drone. Compare it with regular Lydian - the only difference is the #5 (G# vs G). The augmented 5th adds instability that makes this mode ideal for transitional moments in a progression. Try resolving phrases from the #5 up to the natural 6, which provides the only moment of relative calm.