Guitar scale · Mixolydian mode
G Mixolydian Scale
Major scale with a ♭7 degree, pairing effortlessly with dominant 7th chords in blues-rock.
Tap any note to hear it.
G 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|-----------------------------3-5-7-| B|-------------------------5-6-------| G|-------------------4-5-7-----------| D|-------------3-5-7-----------------| A|-------3-5-7-----------------------| E|-3-5-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-----------------------------8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-10-------------| D|---------------7-9-10--------------------| A|--------7-8-10---------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Mixolydian on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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.
G Mixolydian uses exactly the same notes as C major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the C Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | G |
| 2 | A |
| 3 | B |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | D |
| 6 | E |
| ♭7 | F |
Chords in G Mixolydian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Mixolydian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | G | G7 | Tonic |
| ii | Am | Am7 | Supertonic |
| iii° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Mediant |
| IV | C | Cmaj7 | Subdominant |
| v | Dm | Dm7 | Dominant |
| vi | Em | Em7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | F | Fmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise G Mixolydian anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the G Mixolydian Scale?
- The G Mixolydian Scale has 7 notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F.
- What chords are in the G Mixolydian Scale?
- The chords of G Mixolydian are G (I), Am (ii), Bdim (iii°), C (IV), Dm (v), Em (vi), F (♭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 G Mixolydian on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.