Mixolydian Mode
Bluesy, rock, dominant, unresolved
majorBluesRockCountryFunkSouthern Rock
Fretboard · A Mixolydian
A Mixolydian Mode
Major scale with flat 7th - bluesy sound
Root
Chord
Scale
Secondary
Other
13
620
1.0
0.71.5
About Mixolydian
The Mixolydian mode is a major scale with a flat 7th. This creates a bluesy, rock sound that's perfect for dominant 7th chords and blues-rock improvisation.
Key characteristics
- •Major 3rd (bright foundation)
- •Flat 7th (the "bluesy" sound)
- •Dominant quality
- •Wants to resolve but doesn't have to
Famous examples
- Sweet Child O' Mine — Guns N' Roses
- Norwegian Wood — The Beatles
- Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Sympathy for the Devil — The Rolling Stones
Quick tips
- 1.The b7 gives you that classic rock/blues sound
- 2.Perfect for playing over dominant 7th chords
- 3.Try the I - bVII movement for authentic Mixolydian feel
- 4.Great for southern rock and classic rock solos
Theory
Target notes
Emphasize these for the characteristic sound.
1 (Root)3 (Major 3rd)b7 (Flat 7th - the Mixolydian groove!)
Compared to the parent scale
Like major scale, but with a flat 7th that adds a bluesy, rock edge.
Works over these chord types
Dominant 7th
Practice progressions
Try improvising with Mixolydian over these progressions:
I7 - bVII - IV
I - bVII - I
All modes
Try it in Improvisio
Enter a progression and practice Mixolydian with real-time visualization.
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