Guitar scale · Mixolydian mode
A Mixolydian Scale
Major scale with a ♭7 degree, pairing effortlessly with dominant 7th chords in blues-rock.
Tap any note to hear it.
How to play A Mixolydian on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the other chord tones (3rd, 5th and 7th), which are the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
A Mixolydian uses exactly the same notes as D major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the D Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 2 | B |
| 3 | C# |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | E |
| 6 | F# |
| ♭7 | G |
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Mixolydian Scale?
- The A Mixolydian Scale has 7 notes: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G.
- What is the formula of the mixolydian scale?
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W W H W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Mixolydian on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.