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E mixolydian

E major with one note lowered: D. Seven notes: E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D. The same notes as A major, centred on E.

Parent key
A major Same notes
Colour note
D The flat 7th
Repeating chords
E – D I – ♭VII
80 bpm
Labels

Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode.

IVampEE · G♯ · B
iiF♯mF♯ · A · C♯
iii°G♯°G♯ · B · D
IVAA · C♯ · E
vBmB · D · F♯
viC♯mC♯ · E · G♯
♭VIIVampDD · F♯ · A
Light up

What makes it mixolydian

Major, with the 7th lowered

One note separates E mixolydian from E major: D♯ becomes D. Over the same root, that turns E – D♯° into E – D.

E major
  1. E
  2. F♯
  3. G♯
  4. A
  5. B
  6. C♯
  7. D♯
E mixolydian
  1. E
  2. F♯
  3. G♯
  4. A
  5. B
  6. C♯
  7. D

Hear the difference

oooo
E7

One chord that says mixolydian

E7 holds D, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.

The brightness ladder

Seven modes on E

From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Mixolydian is row 3 of seven.

↑ Brighter

  1. E lydianEF♯G♯A♯BC♯D♯♯4
  2. E ionian (major)EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯—
  3. E mixolydianEF♯G♯ABC♯D♭7
  4. E dorianEF♯GABC♯D♭3 ♭7
  5. E aeolian (natural minor)EF♯GABCD♭3 ♭6 ♭7
  6. E phrygianEFGABCD♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
  7. E locrianEFGAB♭CD♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

Darker ↓

Jam along

Three drills over the vamp

Play over the repeating E – D chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with D ringed.

  1. The vamp, with a clickE – D, two bars each, in frets 2–6. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
  2. Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while E – D sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
  3. Land on the colour noteOver D, aim for D. It is the note that makes it mixolydian.80 bpmLevel 2

Mixolydian on every root

Pick a root

Other modes of A major's notes