Playing C Mixolydian: Dominant Colour from the 8th Fret
C, D, E, F, G, A and Bb make up the C Mixolydian scale, which is C major with a Bb in place of B. That one flattened note is why it fits a C7 chord so well.
With no open string to lean on, you find it from the root alone: the 8th fret on the low E string, or the 3rd fret on the A string. F major holds the very same notes, so treat C Mixolydian as F major with the tonic moved to C. Compare the two with the relative and parallel approach.
Play the C mixolydian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the C mixolydian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | Root | 0 |
| D | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| E | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| F | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| G | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| A | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| Bb | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
C mixolydian scale notes:
How the mixolydian scale is built:
The mixolydian scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-W-W-H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 5 of the Major Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
It is also known as Dominant Scale.
C Mixolydian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (B)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the C mixolydian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the mixolydian scale, starting from a different degree.
The mixolydian scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
