C Lydian Scale — Notes, Chords & Free MIDI
The C Lydian scale is C, D, E, F#, G, A, B. Free MIDI download, with the chord built on every degree of the key — no sign-up.
Major with a raised fourth. The sharpened fourth removes the pull of the perfect fourth, which makes the scale float and widen instead of resolving. In C Lydian the notes are C, D, E, F#, G, A, B, written with 1 sharp (F#). Its parallel minor is C Minor. The interval that gives it its sound is the #4. This page presets the scale tool to C Lydian — play it, or download it as MIDI with or without the chords.
The notes of the C Lydian scale
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | b5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | C | D | E | F# | G | A | B |
Key signature: 1 sharp (F#).
Step pattern
- W
- W
- W
- H
- W
- W
- H
W is a whole step (two semitones), H a half step (one), W+H a three-semitone jump. The pattern adds up to the octave.
C Lydian on the keyboard
The tonic is the darkest key; every other highlighted key belongs to the scale.
Chords in the key of C Lydian
Stack a third and a fifth from the scale on every degree and you get the chords that belong to this key. Tick diatonic chords before downloading to put all 7 of them in the MIDI file after the scale itself.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | C – E – G | major |
| II | D | D – F# – A | major |
| iii | Em | E – G – B | minor |
| bv° | F#° | F# – A – C | diminished |
| V | G | G – B – D | major |
| vi | Am | A – C – E | minor |
| vii | Bm | B – D – F# | minor |
Related keys
- C Minor — parallel minor — the same tonic, a different third
- G Major — parent major scale — this mode is its notes started from a different degree
The other modes of these notes
Start the same seven notes on a different degree and you get a different mode. These six share every note with C Lydian and differ only in which one is home.
Where the Lydian scale is used
film scores wanting wonder or scale, jazz over major chords, progressive rock, and dream pop.
How it works
Choose a root note and a scale, and this tool builds a MIDI file containing the scale played ascending and descending in quarter notes. Enable diatonic chords to also include the triad built on every degree of the scale — a quick way to hear which chords belong to a key. Press play preview to hear the exact notes before downloading. This page arrives preset to C Lydian, so the preview and the download both start on C4 and climb through the scale from there.
What can you do with a scale MIDI file?
- Drag it into your DAW as a reference lane while writing melodies.
- Learn unfamiliar scales — modes, pentatonics, harmonic minor — by seeing them on a piano roll.
- Feed it to arpeggiators or samplers that expect incoming MIDI.
A C Lydian reference lane earns its keep fast: with C, D, E, F#, G, A, B laid out on the piano roll, one glance tells you whether a note in your melody belongs to the scale or is a deliberate colour tone.
Want full generated tracks instead of raw scales? Open the MIDI Maker studio and let the generator write melodies in C Lydian for you.
The lydian scale in every key
More scales starting on C
- C Major
- C Dorian
- C Phrygian
- C Mixolydian
- C Minor
- C Locrian
- C Major Pentatonic
- C Minor Pentatonic
- C Blues
- C Harmonic Minor
- C Melodic Minor
Or head back to the scale to MIDI tool to build any combination yourself.
Keep building: chords, drums and more
- I–V–vi–IV in C Major
- vi–IV–I–V in C Major
- I–IV–V–IV in C Major
- I–vi–IV–V in C Major
- ii–V–I in C Major
- I–vi–ii–V in C Major
- Drum MIDI generator
- Audio to MIDI converter
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the C Lydian scale?
The C Lydian scale contains 7 notes: C, D, E, F#, G, A, B. Measured against the major scale that is 1 2 3 b5 5 6 7, and the step pattern is W W W H W W H. The MIDI file plays them ascending and descending in quarter notes starting from C4.
What chords are in the key of C Lydian?
Stacking thirds on each degree gives I C, II D, iii Em, bv° F#°, V G, vi Am, vii Bm. Tick "diatonic chords" before downloading and the MIDI file includes all 7 of them after the scale.
Is this C Lydian MIDI file free to use?
Yes — the download is free, requires no sign-up, and the generated MIDI is royalty-free for personal and commercial projects. A scale is not copyrightable in any case.
How do I use the scale MIDI in my DAW?
Drag the downloaded .mid file onto an instrument track in any DAW (Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Reaper, Bitwig, Studio One). It appears on the piano roll as regular notes you can edit, transpose, or feed into an arpeggiator.
Want full tracks, not just scales?
The MIDI Maker studio rolls complete, editable arrangements — melody, chords, bass and drums — you can export to any DAW. Free, in your browser.
Open the Studio — Free