Mixolydian Mode – How to Work it Out, Parent Scales, and Notes for Every Key

This article is part of my series of guides describing specific modes and how to work them out. I have also written a more general guide to all modes of the major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales here. 

The Mixolydian mode (not to be confused with the Mixolydian ♭6 mode), is the fifth mode of the major scale. This means that if you start and end on the 5th degree of a major scale, you are playing a Mixolydian mode. E.g. if you take a C major scale and start and end on G, you are playing G Mixolydian. 

The scale formula for the Mixolydian mode is T – T – S – T – T– S – T (T = tone, S = semitone). It is like a major scale with a flat 7. You can find a table with note names for all Mixolydian modes below. 

The Mixolydian mode has the brightness of the major (Ionian) scale due to its major 3rd; but the flattened 7th reduces that strong gravitational pull towards the tonic that is heard in the major. In the major scale (and also the harmonic minor) the 7th degree of the scale is a semitone below the tonic, and it is known as the leading note because it strongly leads into and wants to resolve toward the tonic. The flattened 7th of the Mixolydian mode softens that directional pull and gives it a more earthy, gritty, sometimes ambiguous, sometimes cool or conversely warm, sometimes serious quality. To my ear, the combination of major 3rd (which results in a major quality tonic triad) and flattened 7th sometimes lends a bittersweet or tender quality to the sound, which is why the Mixolydian mode is often used in pop ballads, among many other styles. (I know that’s a lot of “sometimes” but it just shows how versatile and mouldable modes can be.) Unlike the tendency of the major scale, the Mixolydian mode is not just straightforwardly joyful (although of course, this always depends on context), but more like positivity with a caveat, or uplifted but with a pensive edge — hence that bittersweet or gritty quality I sometimes hear. 

Styles of music

As I mentioned above, the Mixolydian mode can be found in pop music (not just ballads), and also rock, folk, blues, jazz and Renaissance styles. 

The Mixolydian Mode in Blues

In blues, the Mixolydian mode is used over dominant 7th chords, and is a very natural and perfect fit for improvisation over these types of chords due to the dominant 7th chord being made up of a 1st, 3rd, 5th and flat 7th. In blues styles, melodies are commonly made up of notes from the Mixolydian mode that pairs with the specific dominant 7th chord that is being heard at any one point in the progression; in combination with notes from blues scales. E.g. if a C7 chord is the underlying harmony for one bar, the melody may use notes from the C Mixolydian mode in that bar (and/or notes from a blues scale relevant to the overriding key, such as the C minor blues scale and/or C major blues scale; or a pentatonic scale). If F7 is the underlying harmony for the next bar, the melody might use notes from the F Mixolydian mode (and/or the aforementioned blues scale). This is a kind of chord-scale pairing technique, which is also used in jazz, but to a greater and more complex extent. Note: these are not hard and fast rules, and as with any improvisation, there is a lot of variability and personal style involved.

You can hear some examples of blues using Mixolydian modes in my own blues improvisations here. I have also improvised using the Mixolydian mode in non-blues styles here. 

Mode Chart — All 12 Mixolydian Modes With Note Names and Parent Scales 

Here is a chart showing the parent scale for each Mixolydian mode, along with all the note names for each one:

Parent  scale	Mixolydian mode	Notes
A major	E Mixolydian	E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D
B ♭ major	F Mixolydian	F G A B♭ C D E♭
B major	F♯Mixolydian	F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E
C major	G Mixolydian	G A B C D E F
D♭ major	A♭ Mixolydian	A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭
D major	A Mixolydian	A B C♯ D E F♯ G
E♭ major	B♭ Mixolydian	B♭ C D E♭ F G A♭
E major	B Mixolydian	B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A
F major	C Mixolydian	C D E F G A B♭
F♯ major	C♯ Mixolydian	C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B
G major	D Mixolydian	D E F♯ G A B C
A♭ major	E ♭ Mixolydian	E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D♭

Listen to My Own Piano Improvisations Using the Mixolydian Mode

I love the Mixolydian mode and its versatility. It is amazing how different it can sound depending on context. Just a change in combinations of modes, harmonic progressions, textures and rhythms can completely alter the style and character. My improvisations below sound to me completely different from my earlier blues improvisations, even though they are incorporating the same kind of mode. In my opinion, that’s the magic of modes — their versatility and how they can become an entire palette of colours even before you start to modulate to different keys.