F♯ Mixolydian mode on guitar
The F♯ Mixolydian mode has seven notes: F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯ and E (1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7). A major scale with a flat 7th: the sound of rock, blues-rock and country over a dominant 7 chord. It fits riffs built on I, ♭VII and IV, like A, G and D.
| Note | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B | C♯ | D♯ | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | whole | whole | half | whole | whole | half | whole |
5 positions to learn it in
On guitar a seven-note scale is learnt in five shapes, each built round one of the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Together they cover the neck. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the F♯ Mixolydian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; F♯ (F♯) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (F♯) | F♯home | F♯7home |
| 2 (G♯) | G♯mrestless | G♯m7restless |
| 3 (A♯) | A♯dimthe edge | A♯m7♭5the edge |
| 4 (B) | Bthe door | Bmaj7the door |
| 5 (C♯) | C♯msoft fall | C♯m7soft fall |
| 6 (D♯) | D♯mthe shadow | D♯m7the shadow |
| ♭7 (E) | Eheroic | Emaj7heroic |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the B major scale, started from its fifth note, F♯.
Questions
What notes are in the F♯ Mixolydian mode?
F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯ and E. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are W W H W W H W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the F♯ Mixolydian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: F♯, G♯m, A♯dim, B, C♯m, D♯m and E, and as seventh chords F♯7, G♯m7, A♯m7♭5, Bmaj7, C♯m7, D♯m7 and Emaj7. F♯ is home: F♯ is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Mixolydian mode in every key
Other scales in F♯
F♯ majorF♯ minorF♯ minor pentatonicF♯ major pentatonicF♯ bluesF♯ DorianF♯ LydianF♯ PhrygianF♯ harmonic minorF♯ melodic minorF♯ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.