Compare with
B mixolydian
B major with one note lowered: A. Seven notes: B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A. The same notes as E major, centred on B.
- Parent key
- E major Same notes
- Colour note
- A The flat 7th
- Repeating chords
- B – A I – ♭VII
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| IVampBB · D♯ · F♯ | ||||
| iiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯ | ||||
| iii°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · A | ||||
| IVEE · G♯ · B | ||||
| vF♯mF♯ · A · C♯ | ||||
| viG♯mG♯ · B · D♯ | ||||
| ♭VIIVampAA · C♯ · E |
Light up
What makes it mixolydian
Major, with the 7th lowered
One note separates B mixolydian from B major: A♯ becomes A. Over the same root, that turns B – A♯° into B – A.
B major
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A♯
B mixolydian
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
Hear the difference
One chord that says mixolydian
B7 holds A, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on B
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Mixolydian is row 3 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- B lydianBC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯♯4
- B ionian (major)BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯—
- B mixolydianBC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♭7
- B dorianBC♯DEF♯G♯A♭3 ♭7
- B aeolian (natural minor)BC♯DEF♯GA♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- B phrygianBCDEF♯GA♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- B locrianBCDEFGA♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating B – A chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with A ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickB – A, 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 B – A sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver A, aim for A. It is the note that makes it mixolydian.80 bpmLevel 2
Mixolydian on every root
Pick a root
Other modes of E major's notes