Guitar scale · Mixolydian mode
C# Mixolydian Scale
Major scale with a ♭7 degree, pairing effortlessly with dominant 7th chords in blues-rock.
Tap any note to hear it.
C# Mixolydian Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|----------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|----------------------------------11-12---------| G|-------------------------10-11-13---------------| D|-----------------9-11-13------------------------| A|---------9-11-13--------------------------------| E|-9-11-13----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------12-14----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15----------------| D|-------------------11-13-15-------------------------| A|----------11-13-14----------------------------------| E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------14-16----------| G|----------------------------13-15-16----------------| D|-------------------13-15-16-------------------------| A|----------13-14-16----------------------------------| E|-13-14-16-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-19-| B|-------------------------------------18-19----------| G|----------------------------16-18-20----------------| D|-------------------16-18-20-------------------------| A|----------16-18-20----------------------------------| E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------18-19-21-| B|-------------------------------------19-21----------| G|----------------------------18-20-22----------------| D|-------------------18-20-21-------------------------| A|----------18-20-21----------------------------------| E|-18-19-21-------------------------------------------|
How to play C# Mixolydian on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 9–13. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
C# Mixolydian uses exactly the same notes as F# major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the F# Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C# |
| 2 | D# |
| 3 | E# |
| 4 | F# |
| 5 | G# |
| 6 | A# |
| ♭7 | B |
Chords in C# Mixolydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C# Mixolydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C# | C#7 | Tonic |
| ii | D#m | D#m7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | E#dim | E#m7b5 | Mediant |
| IV | F# | F#maj7 | Subdominant |
| v | G#m | G#m7 | Dominant |
| vi | A#m | A#m7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | B | Bmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C# Mixolydian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Mixolydian Scale?
- The C# Mixolydian Scale has 7 notes: C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B.
- What chords are in the C# Mixolydian Scale?
- The chords of C# Mixolydian are C# (I), D#m (ii), E#dim (iii°), F# (IV), G#m (v), A#m (vi), B (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the mixolydian scale?
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W W H W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C# Mixolydian on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.