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Guitar scale · Mixolydian mode

F# Mixolydian Scale

Major scale with a ♭7 degree, pairing effortlessly with dominant 7th chords in blues-rock.

Notes F#G#A#BC#D#E
Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps W W H W W H W
Mood Bluesy Major, Free, Energetic
Heard in Classic Rock, AC/DC, Grateful Dead, Southern Rock

Interactive scale diagram

F# Mixolydian Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

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.

Position 1 · E shape frets 2–6
e|-----------------------------2-4-6-|
B|-------------------------4-5-------|
G|-------------------3-4-6-----------|
D|-------------2-4-6-----------------|
A|-------2-4-6-----------------------|
E|-2-4-6-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 4–8
e|-----------------------------4-6-7-|
B|-------------------------5-7-------|
G|-------------------4-6-8-----------|
D|-------------4-6-8-----------------|
A|-------4-6-7-----------------------|
E|-4-6-7-----------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 6–10
e|-----------------------------6-7-9-|
B|-------------------------7-9-------|
G|-------------------6-8-9-----------|
D|-------------6-8-9-----------------|
A|-------6-7-9-----------------------|
E|-6-7-9-----------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 9–13
e|---------------------------------------9-11-12-|
B|---------------------------------11-12---------|
G|-------------------------9-11-13---------------|
D|-----------------9-11-13-----------------------|
A|---------9-11-13-------------------------------|
E|-9-11-12---------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------11-12-14-|
B|-------------------------------------12-14----------|
G|----------------------------11-13-15----------------|
D|-------------------11-13-14-------------------------|
A|----------11-13-14----------------------------------|
E|-11-12-14-------------------------------------------|

How to play F# Mixolydian on guitar

Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 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 2–6. 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 B major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the B Major Scale.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 F#
2 G#
3 A#
4 B
5 C#
6 D#
♭7 E

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# F#7 Tonic
ii G#m G#m7 Supertonic
iii° A#dim A#m7b5 Mediant
IV B Bmaj7 Subdominant
v C#m C#m7 Dominant
vi D#m D#m7 Submediant
♭VII E Emaj7 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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  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

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  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
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Questions

What notes are in the F# Mixolydian Scale?
The F# Mixolydian Scale has 7 notes: F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E.
What chords are in the F# Mixolydian Scale?
The chords of F# Mixolydian are F# (I), G#m (ii), A#dim (iii°), B (IV), C#m (v), D#m (vi), E (♭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 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Mixolydian Scale in every key

More scales in F#