C 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 C: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the C mixolydian mode

C1
D2
E3
F4
G5
A6
B♭b7

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

C mixolydian mode on the whole neck

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

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<iframe src="https://jamease.app/embed/scales/c-mixolydian" width="100%" height="300" style="border:0;max-width:900px" loading="lazy" title="C Mixolydian Mode on the guitar neck"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://jamease.app/scales/c-mixolydian">C 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 6–11

C Mixolydian Mode, box 1

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

Box 2 · frets 8–14

C Mixolydian Mode, box 2

e|-------------------------------------------------------------8--10-12-13-|
B|-------------------------------------------------8--10-11-13-------------|
G|-------------------------------------9--10-12-14-------------------------|
D|-------------------------8--10-12-14-------------------------------------|
A|-------------8--10-12-13-------------------------------------------------|
E|-8--10-12-13-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 11–16

C Mixolydian Mode, box 3

e|----------------------------------------------12-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------11-13-15----------|
G|----------------------------12-14-15-------------------|
D|-------------------12-14-15----------------------------|
A|----------12-13-15-------------------------------------|
E|-12-13-15----------------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 1–6

C Mixolydian Mode, box 4

e|-----------------------------------1-3-5-6-|
B|---------------------------1-3-5-6---------|
G|---------------------2-3-5-----------------|
D|---------------2-3-5-----------------------|
A|---------1-3-5-----------------------------|
E|-1-3-5-6-----------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 4–9

C Mixolydian Mode, box 5

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

C major backing track

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

Smooth Slow Blues in C major | Guitar Backing Track – AUsher Jam Tracks

Songs in C major

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

Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
Dont Look Back In Anger – Oasis
Let It Be – The Beatles
Imagine – John Lennon
Have You Ever Seen The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
All I Want – Kodaline
Stay – Rihanna
A Star Is Born - Always Remember Us This Way – Misc Soundtrack
Ho Hey – The Lumineers
Heaven – Bryan Adams
Space Oddity – David Bowie

All songs in C major →

Other scales in C

Mixolydian Mode in other keys

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