Guitar scales › Mixolydian Mode
A♭ Mixolydian Mode – Guitar
A major scale with a flat 7th: the sound of rock riffs, blues-rock and jam bands over dominant chords. Here it is in A♭: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.
Notes in the A♭ mixolydian mode
- A♭1
- B♭2
- C3
- D♭4
- E♭5
- F6
- G♭b7
Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – b7. Use it to solo over songs in A♭ major.
A♭ mixolydian mode on the whole neck

Know the scale?
Now solo with it.
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- Every note on the neck, with sound and TAB
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The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB
Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.
Box 1 · frets 2–7
e|---------------------------------2-4-6-| B|-------------------------2-4-6-7-------| G|-------------------3-5-6---------------| D|-------------3-4-6---------------------| A|-------3-4-6---------------------------| E|-2-4-6---------------------------------|
Box 2 · frets 4–10
e|-------------------------------------------------------------4--6--8--9--| B|-------------------------------------------------4--6--7--9--------------| G|-------------------------------------5--6--8--10-------------------------| D|-------------------------4--6--8--10-------------------------------------| A|-------------4--6--8--9--------------------------------------------------| E|-4--6--8--9--------------------------------------------------------------|
Box 3 · frets 7–12
e|----------------------------------------------8--9--11-| B|-------------------------------------7--9--11----------| G|----------------------------8--10-11-------------------| D|-------------------8--10-11----------------------------| A|----------8--9--11-------------------------------------| E|-8--9--11----------------------------------------------|
Box 4 · frets 9–14
e|----------------------------------------------------9--11-13-14-| B|----------------------------------------9--11-13-14-------------| G|-------------------------------10-11-13-------------------------| D|----------------------10-11-13----------------------------------| A|-------------9--11-13-------------------------------------------| E|-9--11-13-14----------------------------------------------------|
Box 5 · frets 1–5
e|-------------------------------1-2-4-| B|-------------------------1-2-4-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-------------| D|-------------1-3-4-------------------| A|-------1-3-4-------------------------| E|-1-2-4-------------------------------|
A♭ major backing track
Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.
G# major Backing Track - G sharp - Slow Classic Rock Ballad Guitar Jam Backtrack | TS 94 – Tomas Sandanus
Songs in A♭ major
These songs are in A♭ major, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Viva La Vida – Coldplay
- Night Changes – One Direction
- Goodness Of God – Bethel Music
- Line Without A Hook – Ricky Montgomery
- The Greatest Showman - Never Enough – Misc Soundtrack
- Somebody To Love – Queen
- Firework – Katy Perry
- Enchanted – Taylor Swift
- Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding
- The Sound Of Music - Edelweiss – Misc Musicals
- American Idiot – Green Day
Other scales in A♭
- G♯ Minor Pentatonic Scale
- A♭ Major Pentatonic Scale
- G♯ Blues Scale
- A♭ Major Blues Scale
- A♭ Major Scale
- G♯ Natural Minor Scale
- G♯ Dorian Mode
- G♯ Phrygian Mode
- A♭ Lydian Mode
- G♯ Harmonic Minor Scale
- G♯ Melodic Minor Scale
Mixolydian Mode in other keys
- C Mixolydian Mode
- D♭ Mixolydian Mode
- D Mixolydian Mode
- E♭ Mixolydian Mode
- E Mixolydian Mode
- F Mixolydian Mode
- F♯ Mixolydian Mode
- G Mixolydian Mode
- A Mixolydian Mode
- B♭ Mixolydian Mode
- B Mixolydian Mode
Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.
FAQ
What notes are in the Ab mixolydian mode?
Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb. The formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7.
Where do I start playing the Ab mixolydian mode on guitar?
Start with Box 1, frets 2–7. The root note Ab is on the low E string at fret 4.