Scales and modes
Mixolydian mode
The Mixolydian mode is the fifth mode of the major scale: a major scale with a flat seventh (b7), the natural sound of a dominant seventh chord.
What is the Mixolydian mode?
Mixolydian is the fifth of the seven modes of the major scale. Play the notes of C major starting from G (G A B C D E F) and you have G Mixolydian.
Its formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7. Compared with the Ionian mode, only the seventh changes: it drops a half step. With that b7, the chord built on the root becomes a dominant seventh (G7 = G B D F). That is why Mixolydian is the home scale of rock, funk, country and blues: major, but with an edge.
How do you play Mixolydian on the guitar?
Take A Mixolydian: A B C# D E F# G, the notes of D major centred on A. Root on the 6th string, 5th fret. The G natural (b7) sits at:
- 4th (D) string, 5th fret
- 2nd (B) string, 8th fret
Shortcut: play your A major scale shape and lower every G# by one fret. Your fingers are now outlining an A7 chord. A handy single-string landmark: the b7 is always two frets below the root (low E string: A at the 5th fret, G at the 3rd; and again G at the 15th, below the A octave at the 17th).
The I-bVII-IV Mixolydian progression
Mixolydian has no leading tone, so the v chord turns minor and the seventh degree carries a major chord a whole step below the tonic. That gives the most famous progression of Southern and classic rock:
| Degree | In D Mixolydian | In A Mixolydian |
|---|---|---|
| I | D | A |
| bVII | C | G |
| IV | G | D |
Strum D, C, G as open chords and you get that 70s guitar sound straight away. In a song that is otherwise in a major key, that bVII is usually explained as modal interchange.
Exercise: Mixolydian over an A blues
In a blues in A every chord is a dominant seventh: A7, D7, E7. Each one takes its own Mixolydian.
- Over A7, aim at G (the b7 of A) and C# (the third).
- Over D7, aim at C (the b7 of D) and F# (the third).
- Over E7, aim at D (the b7 of E) and G# (the third).
Then mix in the A blues scale: bending its C toward the C# of Mixolydian is the core of blues phrasing. To see all three scales across the neck, display them on the guitar scales tool in interval view.
Common mistakes
- Playing the major scale over a dominant chord: G# clashes with the G of A7.
- Thinking 'D major' over A7: the notes are right but your phrases end up circling D. Think A, aim at C# and G.
- Staying in A Mixolydian for the whole blues instead of following the chord changes.
Key takeaways
- Mixolydian = major scale with a flat seventh (1 2 3 4 5 6 b7).
- It is mode 5: G Mixolydian uses the notes of C major.
- Signature chord: the dominant seventh (A7, G7).
- Signature progression: I-bVII-IV (D C G).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Mixolydian and the major scale?
The seventh. The major scale has a major seventh (B in C major), Mixolydian a minor seventh (Bb in C Mixolydian). That note turns the tonic chord into a dominant seventh.
When should you use the Mixolydian mode?
Over any dominant seventh chord that does not resolve right away: rock and funk vamps, blues, songs that rock between I and bVII. It also works over a V7 resolving to I, since it is the fifth mode of that key.
Mixolydian or major pentatonic: which should you use?
The major pentatonic is Mixolydian without the 4 and the b7, so it is safer but less specific. Start with the pentatonic, then add the b7 to get the full Mixolydian sound.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
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