Lydian Dominant Scale

The Lydian dominant scale is Mixolydian with a raised fourth — a dominant seventh scale with a tritone built into the scale above the root. It has the bright, suspended quality of Lydian combined with the flat seventh of a dominant chord. It's the sound of tritone substitution dominants, the IV7 chord in jazz blues, Bill Evans's modal harmonies, and Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage." When a dominant chord doesn't resolve the conventional way — or floats over a pedal point — Lydian dominant is usually the right choice.

Construction

The 4th mode of the melodic minor scale.
C Lydian Dominant = 4th mode of G melodic minor:

G melodic minor: G A B♭ C D E F# G
4th mode (start on C): C D E F# G A B♭ C

Formula: 1  2  3  #4  5  6  ♭7
Compared to C Mixolydian:  raises 4th (F → F#)
Compared to C Lydian:      lowers 7th (B → B♭)

= Lydian mode with ♭7
= Mixolydian mode with #4

Parent Scale Shortcut

Lydian dominant root → parent melodic minor is a 5th below:
  C Lydian dominant = G melodic minor
  F Lydian dominant = C melodic minor
  B♭ Lydian dominant = F melodic minor
  G Lydian dominant = D melodic minor
  D♭ Lydian dominant = A♭ melodic minor

Lydian Dominant in Common Keys

Root	Notes	Parent melodic minor	#4
C Lydian dominant	C D E F# G A B♭	G melodic minor	F#
G Lydian dominant	G A B C# D E F	D melodic minor	C#
F Lydian dominant	F G A B C D E♭	C melodic minor	B
D♭ Lydian dominant	D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C♭	A♭ melodic minor	G
B♭ Lydian dominant	B♭ C D E F G A♭	F melodic minor	E

What It Sounds Like

Bright, forward-leaning, sophisticated. The ♯4 (tritone above the root) is the characteristic colour — it adds tension without the darkness of the altered scale. Unlike Mixolydian (which is grounded and earthy), Lydian dominant floats. Unlike the altered scale (which is tense and demands resolution), Lydian dominant can sustain without immediately resolving. It's a "floating dominant" sound.

Uses in Jazz

Context	Chord	Why Lydian dominant works
Tritone substitution	D♭7 substituting for G7	D♭ Lydian dominant is the natural scale for D♭7; the #4 (G) is the original V chord root
IV7 in blues	D7 in A blues	D Lydian dominant over D7 gives #11 (G#), avoiding the "expected" Mixolydian sound
Pedal dominant	G7 over a static pedal	Lydian dominant sounds better than Mixolydian when the dominant doesn't resolve quickly
"Maiden Voyage" type chord	D7sus4, G7sus4	Hancock's floating dominant sus chords imply Lydian dominant
Modal jazz dominant	Any static dominant vamp	The raised 4th prevents the "predictable" Mixolydian sound

Comparison: Altered vs. Lydian Dominant Over G7

G Mixolydian:        G A  B  C  D  E  F    (natural — no alterations)
G Lydian dominant:   G A  B  C# D  E  F    (#4 only — bright, floating)
G half-whole dim.:   G A♭ B♭ B  D♭ E♭ F  G (♭9, ♯9, ♯11 — dense alteration)
G altered:           G A♭ B♭ B  D♭ E♭ F    (all alterations — maximum tension)

For G7 resolving strongly to Cmaj7: use Altered
For G7 in a blues or static context: use Lydian dominant
For G7♭9 or G7♯9: use half-whole diminished
For G7 in a generic unaltered context: use Mixolydian

Herbie Hancock and "Maiden Voyage"

"Maiden Voyage" (1965) is one of the defining modal jazz recordings. Its four chords are all suspended dominant 7th chords over pedal points — each implying Lydian dominant harmony. The floating, oceanic quality of the piece comes directly from Lydian dominant's combination of dominant function (the ♭7) and suspended, unresolved quality (the #4 avoids the perfect 4th's pull, and there's no leading tone). It's a lesson in how one scale choice defines an entire sonic world.

References

Levine — The Jazz Theory Book
Bergonzi — Inside Improvisation Series
jazzguitar.be — Lydian Dominant Scale ↗