The notes, the whole-tone core, and the harmony
E Lydian Augmented is the third mode of C# melodic minor: E F# G# A# B# C# D#. (B# is a C on the fretboard — it's spelled B# so the scale reads as seven letters. The tab just says what fret it is.) Intervals 1 2 3 #4 #5 6 7. Compare it to Lydian: same thing with the 5th pushed up a semitone. That one push does two things — it makes the tonic triad augmented, and it means the first five notes (E F# G# A# B#) are a straight run of whole steps. So the bottom of the scale is whole-tone and the top is melodic minor, and the ear can't settle on which.
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | #4 | #5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | E | F# | G# | A# | B# (C) | C# | D# |
| Step | W | W | W | W | H | W | H |
| Colour | root | float | major | lydian | augmented | float | leading |
Harmonised (as it sits inside C# melodic minor):
| I | II | III | #iv | #v | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emaj7#5 | F#7 | G#7 | A#m7b5 | B#m7b5 | C#m(maj7) | D#m7 |
The important thing about that row: there's no ordinary major or minor seventh chord on the root. The tonic is a maj7#5 — a chord most players only meet as a passing sound. Living on it is the whole exercise. There's also no dominant pulling to E: the two dominant sevenths (F#7, G#7) both want to go somewhere else, so this mode has no cadence. It just hovers.
Three ways to use it, from tame to wild: over Emaj7#5 (obviously), over Emaj7 as a Holdsworth-style substitution (the #5 rubs against the natural 5 in the chord — that's the point), and over C#m(maj7) or C#m6, where it's just C# melodic minor from a different anchor — the Landau/Henderson move on a minor chord with a major 7th in it.
How to hear it: Lydian is a major chord with the roof lifted off. This is Lydian with the floor removed as well. If Lydian floats, this drifts.
Position zones (whole neck)
Zone 1 — open / 1st position
e|-------------------------------------------0--2--4--| B|----------------------------------1--2--4-----------| G|----------------------------1--3--------------------| D|-------------------1--2--4--------------------------| A|----------1--3--4-----------------------------------| E|-0--2--4--------------------------------------------|
Zone 2 — 2nd–5th fret
e|----------------------------------2--4--| B|-------------------------2--4--5--------| G|-------------------3--5-----------------| D|-------------2--4-----------------------| A|-------3--4-----------------------------| E|-2--4-----------------------------------|
Zone 3 — 4th–8th fret
e|----------------------------------------------4--6--8--| B|-------------------------------------4--5--7-----------| G|----------------------------5--6--8--------------------| D|-------------------4--6--8-----------------------------| A|----------4--6--7--------------------------------------| E|-4--6--8-----------------------------------------------|
Zone 4 — 7th–10th fret
e|--------------------------------8--9--| B|--------------------------7--9--------| G|--------------------8--9--------------| D|-------------8--10--------------------| A|-------7--9---------------------------| E|-8--9---------------------------------|
Zone 5 — 9th–13th fret
e|---------------------------------------------------------9--11--12--| B|----------------------------------------------9--11--13-------------| G|-----------------------------------9--11--13------------------------| D|-----------------------10--11--13-----------------------------------| A|------------9--11--13-----------------------------------------------| E|-9--11--12----------------------------------------------------------|
Zone 6 — 12th position (octave of zone 1)
e|---------------------------------------------------------12--14--16--| B|---------------------------------------------13--14--16--------------| G|-------------------------------------13--15--------------------------| D|-------------------------13--14--16----------------------------------| A|-------------13--15--16----------------------------------------------| E|-12--14--16----------------------------------------------------------|
Root E is on: low E 0/12, A 7, D 2/14, G 9, B 5, high e 0/12. In every zone, find E, then G#, then B# (the C), then D#. That's Emaj7#5 and it is the sound. Then find A# — it's the note that stops this being plain augmented and makes it Lydian.
Drill per zone: ascend and descend in quavers at 80 bpm, then play only the 1–b2–3 cluster in that zone, then ascend the zone landing only on E, G#, B# and D# on the beats — the whole-tone-ish scale tones fall on the offbeats. This mode has no half-step pull to the root, so the drill is about floating on chord tones, not resolving.
Three-notes-per-string patterns
Seven patterns, one per scale degree, three notes on every string. Patterns are given from a sensible starting fret; they repeat 12 frets up. Alternate pick throughout — there are five consecutive whole steps (E F# G# A# B# — then C# is only a half step away), so most strings are two-fret stretches and the patterns feel wide and even. That's the whole-tone DNA and it's why Holdsworth loved this.
Pattern 1 — starts on E (1)
e|-------------------------------------------------------------14--16--18--| B|-------------------------------------------------14--16--17--------------| G|-------------------------------------13--15--17--------------------------| D|-------------------------13--14--16--------------------------------------| A|-------------13--15--16--------------------------------------------------| E|-12--14--16--------------------------------------------------------------|
Pattern 2 — starts on F# (2)
e|----------------------------------------------4--6--8--| B|-------------------------------------4--5--7-----------| G|----------------------------3--5--6--------------------| D|-------------------2--4--6-----------------------------| A|----------3--4--6--------------------------------------| E|-2--4--6-----------------------------------------------|
Pattern 3 — starts on G# (3)
e|----------------------------------------------6--8--9--| B|-------------------------------------5--7--9-----------| G|----------------------------5--6--8--------------------| D|-------------------4--6--8-----------------------------| A|----------4--6--7--------------------------------------| E|-4--6--8-----------------------------------------------|
Pattern 4 — starts on A# (#4)
e|------------------------------------------------8--9--11--| B|--------------------------------------7--9--11------------| G|-----------------------------6--8--9----------------------| D|-------------------6--8--10-------------------------------| A|----------6--7--9-----------------------------------------| E|-6--8--9--------------------------------------------------|
Pattern 5 — starts on C (#5)
e|-----------------------------------------------------9--11--12--| B|------------------------------------------9--11--13-------------| G|--------------------------------8--9--11------------------------| D|---------------------8--10--11----------------------------------| A|-----------7--9--11---------------------------------------------| E|-8--9--11-------------------------------------------------------|
Pattern 6 — starts on C# (6)
e|----------------------------------------------------------11--12--14--| B|----------------------------------------------11--13--14--------------| G|-----------------------------------9--11--13--------------------------| D|-----------------------10--11--13-------------------------------------| A|------------9--11--13-------------------------------------------------| E|-9--11--12------------------------------------------------------------|
Pattern 7 — starts on D# (7)
e|-------------------------------------------------------------12--14--16--| B|-------------------------------------------------13--14--16--------------| G|-------------------------------------11--13--15--------------------------| D|-------------------------11--13--14--------------------------------------| A|-------------11--13--15--------------------------------------------------| E|-11--12--14--------------------------------------------------------------|
Sequences to run through every pattern
- Fours: 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6 … (the Paul Gilbert one)
- Threes: 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5 … — this is the natural 3NPS grouping, so it accents the string changes
- Thirds: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5 … — every diatonic third from E up to B# is a major third; the minor thirds only appear at the top of the scale, so this sequence sounds augmented until suddenly it doesn't
- Sixes descending: 6-5-4-3-2-1 from the top of each string pair — the Henderson-ish shape
Triad positions — E+, F#, G# and C#m
Closed voicings, three inversions, four string sets. Four triads matter: E augmented (home — the tonic isn't a major triad here), F# major (the II chord: F#/E is the classic Lydian slash sound, and it works here too), G# major (III: G#/E is Emaj7#5 spelled as a slash chord) and C# minor (the relative melodic minor, C#m/E = Emaj7#5 no 5).
E augmented (E G# B#)
strings e B G 1st inv · 2nd inv · root · 1st inv
e|-0--4--8--12--| B|-1--5--9--13--| G|-1--5--9--13--| D|--------------| A|--------------| E|--------------|
strings B G D root · 1st inv · 2nd inv · root
e|---------------| B|-1--5--9---13--| G|-1--5--9---13--| D|-2--6--10--14--| A|---------------| E|---------------|
strings G D A 2nd inv · root · 1st inv · 2nd inv
e|---------------| B|---------------| G|-1--5--9---13--| D|-2--6--10--14--| A|-3--7--11--15--| E|---------------|
strings D A E 1st inv · 2nd inv · root
e|-----------| B|-----------| G|-----------| D|-2--6--10--| A|-3--7--11--| E|-4--8--12--|
F# major (F# A# C#)
strings e B G 1st inv · 2nd inv · root · 1st inv
e|-2--6--9---14--| B|-2--7--11--14--| G|-3--6--11--15--| D|---------------| A|---------------| E|---------------|
strings B G D root · 1st inv · 2nd inv
e|-----------| B|-2--7--11--| G|-3--6--11--| D|-4--8--11--| A|-----------| E|-----------|
strings G D A 2nd inv · root · 1st inv
e|-----------| B|-----------| G|-3--6--11--| D|-4--8--11--| A|-4--9--13--| E|-----------|
strings D A E 1st inv · 2nd inv · root
e|-----------| B|-----------| G|-----------| D|-4--8--11--| A|-4--9--13--| E|-6--9--14--|
G# major (G# B# D#)
strings e B G 1st inv · 2nd inv · root
e|-4--8--11--| B|-4--9--13--| G|-5--8--13--| D|-----------| A|-----------| E|-----------|
strings B G D 2nd inv · root · 1st inv · 2nd inv
e|---------------| B|-1--4--9---13--| G|-1--5--8---13--| D|-1--6--10--13--| A|---------------| E|---------------|
strings G D A 1st inv · 2nd inv · root · 1st inv
e|---------------| B|---------------| G|-1--5--8---13--| D|-1--6--10--13--| A|-3--6--11--15--| E|---------------|
strings D A E root · 1st inv · 2nd inv
e|-----------| B|-----------| G|-----------| D|-1--6--10--| A|-3--6--11--| E|-4--8--11--|
C# minor (C# E G#)
strings e B G 2nd inv · root · 1st inv · 2nd inv
e|-0--4--9--12--| B|-2--5--9--14--| G|-1--6--9--13--| D|--------------| A|--------------| E|--------------|
strings B G D 1st inv · 2nd inv · root · 1st inv
e|---------------| B|-2--5--9---14--| G|-1--6--9---13--| D|-2--6--11--14--| A|---------------| E|---------------|
strings G D A root · 1st inv · 2nd inv
e|-----------| B|-----------| G|-1--6--9---| D|-2--6--11--| A|-4--7--11--| E|-----------|
strings D A E 2nd inv · root · 1st inv
e|-----------| B|-----------| G|-----------| D|-2--6--11--| A|-4--7--11--| E|-4--9--12--|
E augmented only has one shape per string set (it repeats every four frets) so those rows look thin — but every shape is also G#+ and B#+, so you're seeing three chords in one. Play them over an E bass and hear how there is no "correct" inversion.
Drill: on the top string set, play E+ → F# → E+ → G# → E+ → C#m → E+. Each pair is a Lydian Augmented slash chord over E (F#/E, G#/E, C#m/E). Then the one that matters most for fusion: G# major triad over an E bass, moved through all three inversions — that's Emaj7#5 as a triad-over-bass, which is how Holdsworth actually voices this stuff.
Sixths and thirds — where they are
Harmonised scale on string pairs. Sixths here sound nothing like the Spanish ones from the last two packs — they're smooth, wide and slightly unsettled, closer to a Bill Frisell or Holdsworth chordal line. Thirds are included because five of the seven diatonic thirds are major — that's what gives harmonised lines in this mode their glassy, augmented sheen.
Pairs are lower-string / upper-string. Read each column as one two-note chord, ascending the neck.
Diatonic 6ths
G / e
e|-0--2--4--6--8--9--11--12--14--| B|-------------------------------| G|-1--3--5--6--8--9--11--13--15--| D|-------------------------------| A|-------------------------------| E|-------------------------------|
D / B
e|--------------------------------| B|-1--2--4--5--7--9---11--13--14--| G|--------------------------------| D|-1--2--4--6--8--10--11--13--14--| A|--------------------------------| E|--------------------------------|
A / G
e|----------------------------| B|----------------------------| G|-1--3--5--6--8--9---11--13--| D|----------------------------| A|-3--4--6--7--9--11--13--15--| E|----------------------------|
E / D
e|----------------------------| B|----------------------------| G|----------------------------| D|-1--2--4--6--8--10--11--13--| A|----------------------------| E|-2--4--6--8--9--11--12--14--|
Diatonic 3rds
B / e
e|-0--2--4--6--8--9---11--12--| B|-2--4--5--7--9--11--13--14--| G|----------------------------| D|----------------------------| A|----------------------------| E|----------------------------|
G / B
e|-------------------------------| B|-1--2--4--5--7--9--11--13--14--| G|-1--3--5--6--8--9--11--13--15--| D|-------------------------------| A|-------------------------------| E|-------------------------------|
D / G
e|-----------------------------| B|-----------------------------| G|-1--3--5--6--8---9---11--13--| D|-2--4--6--8--10--11--13--14--| A|-----------------------------| E|-----------------------------|
A / D
e|----------------------------| B|----------------------------| G|----------------------------| D|-1--2--4--6--8--10--11--13--| A|-3--4--6--7--9--11--13--15--| E|----------------------------|
Drill for 6ths: hybrid-pick the G/e pairs and let them ring into each other with a bit of delay — this mode wants sustain and legato, not palm-muted tremolo. Then play only the pairs whose lower note is E, G# or B# and go between them: that's the augmented triad harmonised in 6ths and it floats.
Arpeggios in one zone
Four arpeggios, each in one zone (7th–10th fret area, so they overlap the zone-4 scale above). Every one of these is a subset of the same seven notes, so once the scale is under your fingers these are just "leave some out".
Emaj7#5 (E G# B# D#)
home; the top three notes are a G# major triad
e|--------------------8--| B|-----------------9-----| G|-----------8--9--------| D|-------10--------------| A|----7------------------| E|-8---------------------|
F#7 (F# A# C# E)
the II7; over E it gives 2, #4, 6 and root — pure Lydian
e|-------------------9--| B|----------------7-----| G|-------------9--------| D|----------8-----------| A|----7--9--------------| E|-9--------------------|
A#m7b5 (A# C# E G#)
the #iv half-diminished; over E it's #4, 6, 1, 3 — the same notes as F#7 minus the F#
e|----------------9--| B|-------------9-----| G|----------9--------| D|-------8-----------| A|----7--------------| E|-9-----------------|
C#m(maj7) (C# E G# B#)
the relative melodic minor tonic; over E it's the maj7#5 without the D#
e|--------------------8--9--| B|-----------------9--------| G|--------------9-----------| D|----------10--------------| A|-------7------------------| E|-8--9---------------------|
Drill: over an E drone, Emaj7#5 up, F#7 down. Then A#m7b5 up, C#m(maj7) down. Then all four back to back — you're playing four inversions of the same colour, which is the Lydian Augmented trick: almost every chord in the parent melodic minor works over the E.
Vocabulary
Lick 1 — whole-tone ladder into Emaj7#5
Five whole steps up the G and B strings, then the Emaj7#5 arpeggio on top, then back down. Legato the ladder, pick the arpeggio.
e|------------------------12--16-------------------------| B|----------------13--16----------16--13-----------------| G|-9--11--13--15--------------------------15--13--11--9--| D|-------------------------------------------------------| A|-------------------------------------------------------| E|-------------------------------------------------------|
Lick 2 — up to the #4
Climbs to A# and hangs on it, then falls through D# and B# to E. The A# is the Lydian note; hold it longer than feels right.
e|-12--14--16--18--16--14--------------12--| B|-------------------------16--13--11------| G|-----------------------------------------| D|-----------------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------------|
Lick 3 — sixths, ringing
Five pairs up, four back, let every pair ring into the next. Add delay. No palm mute.
e|-9--11--12--14--12--11--9--| B|---------------------------| G|-9--11--13--15--13--11--9--| D|---------------------------| A|---------------------------| E|---------------------------|
Lick 4 — F# triad over E
The F# major arpeggio climbing two octaves over an E bass, then E → B# → E to say where home is. This is the slash-chord sound as a single line.
e|-----------------------14--12------12--| B|---------------11--14----------13------| G|-----------11--------------------------| D|----8--11------------------------------| A|-9-------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------|
Lick 5 — low whole-tone riff
Open E, walk up four whole steps on the low string and back, touch the B# and C# on the A string, then the tritone leap E → A# → E. Clean, wide, spacey.
e|----------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------| G|----------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------| A|----------------------3--4--3-----------| E|-0--2--4--6--4--2--0-----------0--6--0--|
Week plan
| Day | 20 min | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Zones 1–3, 3NPS patterns 1–3 | Find E–G#–B#–D# in every zone first |
| Tue | Triads: E+ shapes and G#/E on top two string sets | Triad-over-bass voicings of Emaj7#5 |
| Wed | Zones 4–6, 3NPS 4–7 | Sequences in thirds — hear where the major thirds stop |
| Thu | 6ths on G/e and D/B, lick 3 | Legato, sustain, delay |
| Fri | Arpeggios + licks 1, 2, 4 | All four arps as inversions of one colour |
| Sat | F#, G#, C#m triads on lower string sets | Slash chords over an E bass |
| Sun | Everything over a vamp | Emaj7#5 (4 bars) → F#7/E (4), then C#m(maj7) → Emaj7#5 |
Backing: an E drone with a C on top (E–C) is the fastest way to hear this mode — a plain E drone will keep dragging your ear toward Lydian. When it's in, play the same notes over a C# minor drone and you're in C# melodic minor; over F# you're in F# Lydian Dominant. Up five frets it's A Lydian Augmented over your A-root drone, from D melodic minor.