F Mixolydian mode
F Mixolydian mode is F – G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭, with B♭ and E♭. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
F 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 A–B♭ and D–E♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from F | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | root | |
| 2 | G | major second | |
| 3 | A | major third | |
| 4 | B♭ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | C | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | D | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | E♭ | 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 F7.
F7 is the Mixolydian chord: the E♭ that makes it a dominant seventh is the same note that makes the scale Mixolydian.
Compared with F major scale, F Mixolydian mode has E♭ where the other has E; the other six notes are shared. Hear F major scale and compare.
F Mixolydian mode uses the same seven notes as B♭ major, starting from F instead of B♭. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Mixolydian is playing it over a F bass or chord.
On piano and on guitar
On the piano it uses two black keys (B♭ and E♭) and five white.
On guitar the root sits at the 1st fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 0–5 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 F Mixolydian mode; the ones that differ from the B♭ major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know F Mixolydian mode, you already know the notes of C Dorian (starting on the 5th note, C), D Phrygian (starting on the 6th note, D), E♭ Lydian (starting on the 7th note, E♭), G natural minor (starting on the 2nd note, G), A Locrian (starting on the 3rd note, A) and B♭ major (starting on the 4th note, B♭).
F Mixolydian mode across the fretboard
The root, F, sits at frets 1 and 13 on the low E string and 8 on the A string. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10) and you'll have it everywhere. Play a major scale, then drop the 7th a half step; that is Mixolydian, the sound of a dominant chord.
On the piano, F Mixolydian mode uses 2 black keys (B♭ and E♭) and 5 white.
Try it in thirds to stop it sounding like an exercise: F–A, G–B♭, A–C, B♭–D, C–E♭, D–F, E♭–G, then back down.
Drills for F Mixolydian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Up in threes: F G A · G A B♭ · A B♭ C · B♭ C D · C D E♭ · D E♭ F.
- Target E♭: F E♭ F E♭ F: the ♭7 takes the pull out of major and makes it bluesy.
Try next, from F
Mixolydian mode in every key
F Mixolydian mode: questions
What are the notes of the F Mixolydian mode?
7 notes: F, G, A, B♭, C, D and E♭.
How many sharps or flats are in the F Mixolydian mode?
Two: B♭ and E♭.
What chords are in the F Mixolydian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives F (I), Gm (ii), Adim (iii°), B♭ (IV), Cm (v), Dm (vi) and E♭ (VII).
What's the difference between F Mixolydian mode and F major scale?
E♭ in F Mixolydian; E in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as F Mixolydian mode?
B♭ major. F Mixolydian is B♭ major played from its 5th note, F.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.