Standard tuning · 7 positions · notes & degrees

A Mixolydian Mode on Guitar

The A Mixolydian mode has 7 notes — A B C# D E F# G (1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7). Major with a flat 7th — the sound of a dominant 7 chord, bluesy but bright. Below: every note on the neck, 7 positions to learn (three notes per string), the chords that fit, and a backing track to jam over.

Show:

Speed 90 BPM

A Mixolydian mode: the whole neck

root (A)other scale notesTap any dot to hear it.

7 positions to learn

Each position covers four or five frets so you can play the scale without moving your hand. Learn position 1 first (it starts on the root, A, at fret 5 of the low E string), then join it to the next one up the neck. Press ▶ Play to hear a position up and back down.

Position 1 · frets 5–10

Position 2 · frets 7–12

Position 3 · frets 9–14

Position 4 · frets 10–15

Position 5 · frets 0–5

Position 6 · frets 2–7

Position 7 · frets 3–9

Jam over it

AGDA

I – ♭VII – IV – I in A — loop it and improvise with the scale. Speed is set above.

Notes and intervals

Degree	Note	Interval from A	Semitones
1	A	root	0
2	B	major 2nd	2
3	C#	major 3rd	4
4	D	perfect 4th	5
5	E	perfect 5th	7
6	F#	major 6th	9
♭7	G	minor 7th	10

Chords that go with the A Mixolydian mode

These chords are built from the same notes, so the Mixolydian fits over all of them. Tap a chord to see how to play it.

Step	Chord	With a 7th
I	A	A7
ii	Bm	Bm7
iii°	C#dim	C#m7b5
IV	D	Dmaj7
v	Em	Em7
vi	F#m	F#m7
♭VII	G	Gmaj7

How to practise it

Slow and even first: play position 1 up and down with the metronome at 60–70 BPM, one note per click, then two.
Say the notes: switch the view to Degrees and land on the root (A) at the end of every phrase — that is what makes a solo sound finished.
Connect the positions: once two positions feel easy, slide between them on one string so the neck becomes one big map.
Make music, not exercises: start the backing above and play short phrases with gaps between them.

Mixolydian in other keys

C Db D Eb E F F#G Ab A Bb B

Other scales in A

A minor pentatonic A major pentatonic A blues scale A major scale A natural minor A Dorian A harmonic minor

New to scales? Start with the guitar scales guide, learn the notes with fretboard notes, or test your ear with the daily challenge.

Questions

What notes are in the A Mixolydian mode?

A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G. As scale degrees that is 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7.

How do you play the A Mixolydian mode on guitar?

Start with position 1: it begins on A at fret 5 of the low E string and covers frets 5–10, three notes per string. The diagrams on this page show every position and the whole neck.

What is the Mixolydian mode used for?

It is used in blues-rock, country, funk, jam bands and Celtic music. Major with a flat 7th — the sound of a dominant 7 chord, bluesy but bright.