A MixolydianScale

Formula

W W H W W H W 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
The family

A Mixolydian on the chromatic circle

A Mixolydian is the 5th mode of the Major family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W W H W W W H 4 DI Ionian 5 EII Dorian 6 F♯III Phrygian ♭7 GIV Lydian 1 AV Mixolydian 2 BVI Aeolian 3 C♯VII Locrian A Mixolydian
The whole neck

A Mixolydian across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
Harmony

Chords in A Mixolydian

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
IA7A C♯ E G
iiBm7B D F♯ A
iii°C♯m7♭5C♯ E G B
IVDmaj7D F♯ A C♯
vEm7E G B D
viF♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
♭VIIGmaj7G B D F♯
Context

Where A Mixolydian fits

Major with a ♭7: blues-rock, classic rock, funk and folk over dominant 7 chords. The sound of I–♭VII–IV progressions.

A Mixolydian is mode 5 of the major family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Mixolydian scale in every key

A Mixolydian scale questions

What notes are in the A Mixolydian scale?

A B C♯ D E F♯ G. As degrees from the root: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7.

What is the A Mixolydian scale formula?

1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W W H W W H W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the A Mixolydian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of A Mixolydian up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape to the A shape.

What chords are in the A Mixolydian scale?

A7 (I), Bm7 (ii), C♯m7♭5 (iii°), Dmaj7 (IV), Em7 (v), F♯m7 (vi), Gmaj7 (♭VII).

When is the A Mixolydian scale used?

Major with a ♭7: blues-rock, classic rock, funk and folk over dominant 7 chords. The sound of I–♭VII–IV progressions.