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

A1
B2
C♯3
D4
E5
F♯6
Gb7

Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – b7. Use it to solo over songs in A major.

A mixolydian mode on the whole neck

A Mixolydian Mode on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (A).

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<iframe src="https://jamease.app/embed/scales/a-mixolydian" width="100%" height="300" style="border:0;max-width:900px" loading="lazy" title="A Mixolydian Mode on the guitar neck"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://jamease.app/scales/a-mixolydian">A Mixolydian Mode on guitar</a> – diagram by JamEase</p>

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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 3–8

A Mixolydian Mode, box 1

e|---------------------------------3-5-7-|
B|-------------------------3-5-7-8-------|
G|-------------------4-6-7---------------|
D|-------------4-5-7---------------------|
A|-------4-5-7---------------------------|
E|-3-5-7---------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 5–11

A Mixolydian Mode, box 2

e|-------------------------------------------------------------5--7--9--10-|
B|-------------------------------------------------5--7--8--10-------------|
G|-------------------------------------6--7--9--11-------------------------|
D|-------------------------5--7--9--11-------------------------------------|
A|-------------5--7--9--10-------------------------------------------------|
E|-5--7--9--10-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 8–13

A Mixolydian Mode, box 3

e|----------------------------------------------9--10-12-|
B|-------------------------------------8--10-12----------|
G|----------------------------9--11-12-------------------|
D|-------------------9--11-12----------------------------|
A|----------9--10-12-------------------------------------|
E|-9--10-12----------------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 10–15

A Mixolydian Mode, box 4

e|----------------------------------------------------10-12-14-15-|
B|----------------------------------------10-12-14-15-------------|
G|-------------------------------11-12-14-------------------------|
D|----------------------11-12-14----------------------------------|
A|-------------10-12-14-------------------------------------------|
E|-10-12-14-15----------------------------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 1–6

A Mixolydian Mode, box 5

e|-------------------------------2-3-5-|
B|-------------------------2-3-5-------|
G|-------------------2-4-6-------------|
D|-------------2-4-5-------------------|
A|-------2-4-5-------------------------|
E|-2-3-5-------------------------------|

A major backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Medium Slow Blues Backing Track in A Major | 65 bpm – Elite Backing Tracks

Songs in A major

These songs are in A major, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

Someone Like You – Adele
Take Me Home Country Roads – John Denver
Whats Up – 4 Non Blondes
The A Team – Ed Sheeran
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Halo – Beyoncé
Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton

All songs in A major →

Other scales in A

Mixolydian Mode in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.