The mixolydian scale is an important part of your jazz guitar toolbox. It’s an essential part of being able to play lines over the blues, and other essential jazz guitar chord progressions.
This scale pops up just about everywhere in jazz – it’s hard to find a song where you don’t need it. Dominant 7th chords are an essential part of the ii V I progression.
They’re the “V” of ii V I. And the mixolydian scale is your best choice for creating melodies over dominant 7th chords.
So it’s one of the first scales I recommend once students are already solid on the basics.
If you know your major and minor pentatonic scales, major scales, and natural minor scales, you’re ready for mixolydian scales.
Don’t worry if you don’t know those yet – you can still get plenty out of learning your mixolydian scale patterns. Just be sure to go back and learn the other patterns too.
I remember really diving into this scale in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college.
I was taking improvisation lessons with a piano player from my hometown, and he was just disgusted that all I knew how to improvise with was arpeggios.
“What are they even teaching you up there!?”
So we spent the summer working through all the different modes of the major scale. And the mixolydian scale was a real game changer.
All of a sudden, I could play lines over the blues – and it sounded more melodic than when I was only using arpeggio shapes.
So in this lesson, we’re going to look at the mixolydian scale.
We’ll cover what it is, where you’ll hear it or use it, common finger patterns, and helpful practice tips.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
What is the Mixolydian Scale?
Definition and Interval Pattern
There are 2 ways of looking at or thinking about the mixolydian scale on guitar:
- As an alteration of the major scale
- As a scale starting on the 5th note of the major scale
We’ll take a quick look at both of these methods right now.
Mixolydian as an Alteration of the Major Scale
You can think of the mixolydian scale (or mixolydian mode) as a major scale with a lowered 7th.
This gives you the scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and b7.
Thinking of the scale this way can be an easy way to generate the scale pattern on your own, and see where it differs from the major scale.
Mixolydian as the 5th Mode of the Major Scale
Another way to think about the mixolydian scale is as the 5th mode of the major scale.
You take the major scale, and play it starting at the 5th scale tone.
If you are playing the G major scale, the 5th note would be D – so you’d have a D Mixolydian Scale.
This is sometimes a quicker way to actually be able to play the mixolydian scale – because you’re not feeling like you have to learn a new scale pattern.
You’re just starting a scale you already know in a new place.
Why Both Perspectives Matter
Both of these approaches are good.
I’ve found it helpful to spend some time really digging into each way of thinking. This way you can figure out what actually makes more sense to you.
It’s not always the first way you learn it that makes the most sense.
When I worked on mixolydian as an alteration of the major scale, I really learned what made the mixolydian sound different. I could feel it when the 7th was lowered.
And when I worked on mixolydian as the 5th note of the major scale pattern, it became easier to use it in solos over ii V I progressions. It just fit into place without too much thought.
Pick one way of looking at mixolydian scale patterns, and stick with it for a while. Once you’re used to that, try something else.
You always learn something new by looking at things from different angles.
3. Where You’ll Hear the Mixolydian Scale in Jazz
The mixolydian scale is usually used over dominant 7th chords. Like G7, C7, and so on.
These chords pop up a lot in jazz – so it’s a good idea to get comfortable with your mixolydian patterns early on.
In ii V I progressions, the V chord is a dominant 7th – so using the mixolydian scale is your first best option there.
The blues (and other blues-ish tunes) uses dominant 7th chords almost exclusively.
So knowing your mixolydian scales that match each chord in the blues is going to take your playing to a whole new level.
Try listening to songs like ”Freddie Freeloader” by Miles Davis to get a feel for what mixolydian scales sound like in solos.
It’s a blues, and the whole “Kind OF Blue” album was based around modal playing.
So it’s a good place for you to start listening to mixolydian in solos.
4. Mixolydian Scale Shapes for Guitar
Now let’s take a look at some mixolydian scale patterns you can start using today.
For purposes of this article, I’ll be showing the mixolydian scale as its own sequence of intervals:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7
We’ll look at the 3 common approaches to putting these scale shapes on the guitar neck.
Single-Octave Shapes
Working in single octave shapes can be a great place to start.
You can see how the notes of the mixolydian scale line up across the strings.
One octave chunks are manageable to practice, which makes these shapes a good option for beginners.
There aren’t too many moving pieces, so these shapes are pretty easy to learn and understand.
The 5-Shape System
Mixolydian scales also fit nicely into a 5 shape system, like CAGED.
These have a little more for you to keep track of, which can be daunting at first.
Some of the scale shapes give you 2 octaves. And others give you one octave with some extra notes on either end.
With these patterns it’s important to keep track of your root notes so you can keep your place. Just make a mental note of every time you play the root as you go. Here are 2 of them to get you started.
For a deeper dive into the 5 scale shapes, check out Major Scales For Jazz Guitar (ebook), or sign up for one on one lessons.
Stretchy 3-Note-Per-String Patterns
I’ve used the stretchy, 3 note per string patterns off and on for years.
There are parts of this system I really like – and parts of it I don’t like.
But I want to include them here to give you options – you never know what really works for you until you’ve tried things out for a while.
There are 7 patterns for this – one starting on each note of the mixolydian scale. Here is the first one to get you going.
Connecting the Mixolydian Scale to Chord Tones
When you’re playing a solo with mixolydian scales, you can highlight the chord tones as you go.
Emphasizing the 1, 3, 5 , and b7 is fairly straightforward – aim for those notes as starting or ending points for your melodies.
They’re the “safe spots” for you to land and hang out.
If you want to get a little more detailed, focus on the 3 and the b7. These are considered “guide tones” and are an essential part of the chord.
Spend some time practicing with a backing track or a looper pedal, and see if you can start landing on these safe notes at the end of your phrases.
Tips for Practicing the Mixolydian Scale
Pick a system and focus on it.
It doesn’t matter how you practice your scales – it just matters that you’re consistent for a period of time.
Don’t bounce around between single octave, CAGED, and 3 note per string patterns trying to learn them all. You’ll end up getting nowhere – believe me, I know.
Pick one approach, and live with it for a while.
You can always choose a different one after a few weeks or months.
I worked exclusively on single octave patterns for years.
Then I did 5 shapes for another several years.
And I’ve spent a year here and there working on 3 note per string patterns.
What matters is that you stick with an approach long enough for it to become natural to you – before you try something else.
Practice in all keys.
This is pretty easy on the guitar – slide up a fret, and you’re in a new key!
Another approach is to use the cycle of 4ths(link). If you want to review different shapes at the same time, try going around the cycle of 4ths, moving your hand as little as possible.
You can find all 12 keys within a 3 or 4 fret radius – 5 frets at most to find all of your root notes. That’s all you should have to move your hand.
Play with backing tracks. Backing tracks are the key to getting better with your mixolydian scales. You can find them easily on youtube for free.
If you can buy iRealPro for about $15. I don’t make any money from them – I just think it’s the best backing track software out there.
And it’s cheap. So grab a copy and have fun!
Conclusion
The mixolydian scale is an important tool for guitar players.
It’s the main companion scale for dominant 7th chords, which pop up all the time in jazz music. So having the mixolydian scale patterns under your fingers is going to help you play better solos and make the changes.
Not only does this scale help over the blues, but it’s great for songs that are “blues-ish”.
Songs with a lot of dominant 7th chords – they sound kind of bluesy, but they’re not the blues.
For songs like these, the mixolydian scale is one of your best tools for creating melodies that sound good.
There are a few different systems available to you for playing your mixolydian scales – so pick one, and get to practicing!
Ready to take things further?
There are 3 ways I can help you take your jazz guitar skills to the next level:
- Buy the Jazz Guitar Survival Guide: It’s your ultimate quick-reference guide to jazz guitar. Proven and easy templates to build any jazz chord, solo in any key, and play through ii V I progressions like a pro.
- Pre-Order Jazz Fundamentals 1 – The Blues: The first installment of my Jazz Guitar Fundamentals mini course series walks you through the basic blues with the chords, scales, and arpeggio patterns that let you start playing the blues today. Complete with video instruction, backing tracks, and detailed handouts.
- Private Jazz Guitar Lessons: Get the one on one coaching you need so you can take your playing further. I’ll work with you to build a step by step plan to take your jazz guitar playing from where it is now to where you want it to be. Book your free call today.