Guitar scale · Mixolydian mode
F Mixolydian Scale
Major scale with a ♭7 degree, pairing effortlessly with dominant 7th chords in blues-rock.
Tap any note to hear it.
F 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|-----------------------------1-3-5-| B|-------------------------3-4-------| G|-------------------2-3-5-----------| D|-------------1-3-5-----------------| A|-------1-3-5-----------------------| E|-1-3-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-5-6-| B|-------------------------4-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-7-----------| D|-------------3-5-7-----------------| A|-------3-5-6-----------------------| E|-3-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-| B|-------------------------6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-8-----------| D|-------------5-7-8-----------------| A|-------5-6-8-----------------------| E|-5-6-8-----------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------8-10-11-| B|---------------------------------10-11---------| G|-------------------------8-10-12---------------| D|-----------------8-10-12-----------------------| A|---------8-10-12-------------------------------| E|-8-10-11---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-12-13----------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-------------------------------------------|
How to play F Mixolydian on guitar
Find the root first: F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F 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 1–5. 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.
F Mixolydian uses exactly the same notes as Bb major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Bb Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F |
| 2 | G |
| 3 | A |
| 4 | Bb |
| 5 | C |
| 6 | D |
| ♭7 | Eb |
Chords in F Mixolydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F Mixolydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | F | F7 | Tonic |
| ii | Gm | Gm7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | Adim | Am7b5 | Mediant |
| IV | Bb | Bbmaj7 | Subdominant |
| v | Cm | Cm7 | Dominant |
| vi | Dm | Dm7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F 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 F Mixolydian Scale?
- The F Mixolydian Scale has 7 notes: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb.
- What chords are in the F Mixolydian Scale?
- The chords of F Mixolydian are F (I), Gm (ii), Adim (iii°), Bb (IV), Cm (v), Dm (vi), Eb (♭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 F Mixolydian on the guitar?
- The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 1–5, and four more positions connect it up the neck.