Lydian Dominant (also called the Bartok scale or overtone scale) combines the brightness of Lydian (#4) with the dominant b7. It matches the natural overtone series closely and appears frequently in Bartok, jazz, and funk.
Scale Formula
1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7 - Lydian with flat 7. Semitone pattern: W W W H W H W
Fretboard (C Lydian Dominant)
Toggle to interval view to see how this mode combines the Lydian #4 with the dominant b7. Compare it to Lydian (which has a natural 7) and Mixolydian (which has a natural 4).
Common Chords
Dominant 7th (1 3 5 b7), Dom 7th#11 (1 3 5 b7 #11), Dom 9th#11, Dom 13th#11.
Diatonic Harmony
Improvisation Context
Play over dominant 7th#11 chords. Works over non-resolving dominant chords and as a tritone substitution scale. The #4 avoids the natural 4 clash with the major 3rd.
Characteristic Note
The #4 combined with b7 gives this mode its unique identity. It sounds "bright dominant" - assertive without the dark pull of Mixolydian. This is the go-to scale for tritone substitutions: if you are substituting Db7 for G7, Db Lydian Dominant gives you all the right alterations of G7.
Practice
Play C Lydian Dominant over a C7 drone. Compare it directly with C Mixolydian - the only difference is F vs F# (#4 vs natural 4). Then apply it to a tritone substitution: over a Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 progression, play Db Lydian Dominant over the G7 (Db7 is the tritone sub of G7). The #4 of Db (G natural) is the root of the original dominant.