STRINGSCALES

F mixolydian Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

A string: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

D string: D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

B string: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

High E string: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

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F mixolydian

The mixolydian mode is a major scale with a flat 7th, the mode of the fifth degree. It is the sound of the dominant 7th chord stretched into a scale, which makes it the working scale of blues rock, country twang and jam band vamps. Anywhere a song sits on a 7th chord without resolving, mixolydian is home base.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

F

I

Fmaj
G

ii

Gm
A

iii°

Adim
B♭

IV

B♭maj
C

v

Cm
D

vi

Dm
E♭

bVII

E♭maj

Characteristic note: Eb (b7), the flat seventh that makes mixolydian the go-to scale over dominant chords.

Same notes, different mode

F mixolydian uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

G minor · relative minorA locrianBb major · relative majorC dorianD phrygianEb lydian

mixolydian in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Aim at the flat 7th (Eb) over a dominant chord: it is the note that makes F7 sound at rest instead of leading anywhere.
  • Bluesify it: bend the 3rd (A), add the flat 3rd as a passing note, and F mixolydian becomes roots rock vocabulary immediately.
  • Vamp I to bVII (Eb) major chords (both in the scale) for the classic rock and jam-band mixolydian groove in F.
  • Over a static 7th chord, alternate mixolydian runs with the F major pentatonic to lighten the dominant color.

How to play F mixolydian on guitar

Lowest root is fret 1 on the low E, so box one sits at the nut and gives way at fret 5. Three open strings sit inside the key, all of them colour tones: major third, major sixth and second. None is the root or fifth, which means an open drone is off the table. Capo at fret 1 converts everything to E fingering, letting open shapes cover the key. Chord vi is Dm.

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