D Mixolydian mode
D Mixolydian mode is D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C, with F♯. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
D Mixolydian mode, note by note
Counted in steps it goes W W H W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F♯–G and B–C.
| Degree | Note | Interval from D | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | |
| 2 | E | major second | |
| 3 | F♯ | major third | |
| 4 | G | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | A | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | B | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | C | minor seventh |
What D Mixolydian sounds like
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 D7.
D7 is the Mixolydian chord: the C that makes it a dominant seventh is the same note that makes the scale Mixolydian.
Compared with D major scale, D Mixolydian mode has C where the other has C♯; the other six notes are shared. Hear D major scale and compare.
D Mixolydian mode uses the same seven notes as G major, starting from D instead of G. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Mixolydian is playing it over a D bass or chord.
On piano and on guitar
Keyboard players: one black (F♯), six white.
16 notes fit in the box between frets 8 and 14, with D at the 10th fret of the low E string.
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 D Mixolydian mode; the ones that differ from the G major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C Lydian (starting on the 7th note, C), E natural minor (starting on the 2nd note, E), F♯ Locrian (starting on the 3rd note, F♯), G major (starting on the 4th note, G), A Dorian (starting on the 5th note, A) and B Phrygian (starting on the 6th 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.
Moving it around the guitar
The root, D, sits at fret 10 on the low E string and 5 on the A string. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 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, D Mixolydian mode uses 1 black key (F♯) and 6 white.
Try it in thirds to stop it sounding like an exercise: D–F♯, E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C, B–D, C–E, then back down.
Three ways to practise D Mixolydian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: D E F♯ · E F♯ G · F♯ G A · G A B · A B C · B C D.
- Target C: D C D C D: the ♭7 takes the pull out of major and makes it bluesy.
Scales to compare with D Mixolydian
Mixolydian mode in every key
D Mixolydian mode: questions
What are the notes of the D Mixolydian mode?
7 notes: D, E, F♯, G, A, B and C.
How many sharps or flats are in the D Mixolydian mode?
One: F♯.
What chords are in the D Mixolydian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives D (I), Em (ii), F♯dim (iii°), G (IV), Am (v), Bm (vi) and C (VII).
What's the difference between D Mixolydian mode and D major scale?
C in D Mixolydian; C♯ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as D Mixolydian mode?
G major. D Mixolydian is G major played from its 5th note, D.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.