C♯ Mixolydian mode (D♭ Mixolydian)
C♯ Mixolydian mode is C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B, with C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
The notes, one step at a time
Counted in steps it goes W W H W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between E♯–F♯ and A♯–B.
| Degree | Note | Interval from C♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | |
| 2 | D♯ | major second | |
| 3 | E♯ | major third | |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | A♯ | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | B | minor seventh |
How the Mixolydian mode sounds
Mixolydian is a major mode with a lowered 7th. It's the sound of a dominant 7th chord stretched into a scale: bluesy, a bit rock-and-roll, used over C♯7.
C♯7 is the Mixolydian chord: the B that makes it a dominant seventh is the same note that makes the scale Mixolydian.
Compared with D♭ major scale, C♯ Mixolydian mode has B where the other has C; the other six notes are shared. Hear D♭ major scale and compare.
C♯ Mixolydian mode uses the same seven notes as F♯ major, starting from C♯ instead of F♯. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Mixolydian is playing it over a C♯ bass or chord.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: five black (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯), two white. E♯ is a white key with a sharp or flat name, because each letter can appear only once in the scale.
On guitar the root sits at the 9th fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 7–13 and holds 16 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit C♯ Mixolydian mode; the ones that differ from the F♯ major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: E♭ natural minor (starting on the 2nd note, E♭), F Locrian (starting on the 3rd note, F), F♯ major (starting on the 4th note, F♯), G♯ Dorian (starting on the 5th note, G♯), B♭ Phrygian (starting on the 6th note, B♭) and B Lydian (starting on the 7th note, B). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Finding C♯ Mixolydian on the neck
The root, C♯, sits at fret 9 on the low E string and 4 on the A string. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11 on the low E string. Play a major scale, then drop the 7th a half step; that is Mixolydian, the sound of a dominant chord.
On the piano, C♯ Mixolydian mode uses 5 black keys (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯) and 2 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's C♯–E♯, D♯–F♯, E♯–G♯, F♯–A♯, G♯–B, A♯–C♯, B–D♯.
Drills for C♯ Mixolydian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Groups of three: C♯ D♯ E♯ · D♯ E♯ F♯ · E♯ F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A♯ · G♯ A♯ B · A♯ B C♯.
- Lean on B: C♯ B C♯ B C♯: the ♭7 takes the pull out of major and makes it bluesy.
Close relatives of C♯ Mixolydian mode
Mixolydian mode in every key
C♯ Mixolydian mode: questions
What are the notes of the C♯ Mixolydian mode?
C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯. As degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the C♯ Mixolydian mode?
Six: C♯, D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯.
What chords are in the C♯ Mixolydian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives C♯ (I), D♯m (ii), E♯dim (iii°), F♯ (IV), G♯m (v), A♯m (vi) and B (VII).
What's the difference between C♯ Mixolydian mode and D♭ major scale?
B in C♯ Mixolydian; C in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as C♯ Mixolydian mode?
F♯ major. C♯ Mixolydian is F♯ major played from its 5th note, C♯.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.