Compare with
A mixolydian
A major with one note lowered: G. Seven notes: A B C♯ D E F♯ G. The same notes as D major, centred on A.
- Parent key
- D major Same notes
- Colour note
- G The flat 7th
- Repeating chords
- A – G I – ♭VII
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| IVampAA · C♯ · E | ||||
| iiBmB · D · F♯ | ||||
| iii°C♯°C♯ · E · G | ||||
| IVDD · F♯ · A | ||||
| vEmE · G · B | ||||
| viF♯mF♯ · A · C♯ | ||||
| ♭VIIVampGG · B · D |
Light up
What makes it mixolydian
Major, with the 7th lowered
One note separates A mixolydian from A major: G♯ becomes G. Over the same root, that turns A – G♯° into A – G.
A major
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G♯
A mixolydian
- A
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
Hear the difference
One chord that says mixolydian
A7 holds G, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on A
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Mixolydian is row 3 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- A lydianABC♯D♯EF♯G♯♯4
- A ionian (major)ABC♯DEF♯G♯—
- A mixolydianABC♯DEF♯G♭7
- A dorianABCDEF♯G♭3 ♭7
- A aeolian (natural minor)ABCDEFG♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- A phrygianAB♭CDEFG♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- A locrianAB♭CDE♭FG♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating A – G chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with G ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickA – G, two bars each, in frets 2–6. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
- Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while A – G sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver G, aim for G. It is the note that makes it mixolydian.80 bpmLevel 2