The Mixolydian Scale is widely used in major-sounding Blues tonalities commonly found in Blues, rock, pop, folk, and modal jazz…
C Mixolydian Scale
- The scale structure of the Mixolydian Scale is always 1-2-3-4-5-6-b7-1, no matter what key you are in.
- The Solfege syllables of the Mixolydian Scale are always Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Te-Do, no matter what key you are in.
- The only thing that changes when you change keys are the letter names.
Comparative Scale Study
- Just as E (Mi) gives the Major Scale its major sound, E (Mi) also gives the Mixolydian Scale a major quality.
- The C Mixolydian Scale shares the same notes as the C Major Scale with one exception: Bb (Te) instead of B (Ti). Only one note has changed, yet this single note dramatically changes the sound, feeling, and character of the scale, enabling you to create a whole new kind of music!
- Think of the Mixolydian Scale as the major version of the Dorian Scale and the Dorian Scale as the minor version of the Mixolydian Scale. Me gives the Dorian Scale its minor flavor, while Mi gives the Mixolydian Scale its major flavor.
- The C Mixolydian Scale has the same key signature as the F Major Scale.
Solfege Ear Training
Reading, playing, and singing the Solfege Syllables out loud is an extremely effective way to tune up your ears and to internalize the unique sound-feeling of each note in the scale with respect to the key center Do. Make sure to do this slowly enough for the unique sound-feeling of each Solfege Syllable to make a meaningful impression on your mind’s ear.
C Mixolydian Scale: Linear Ascending…
C Mixolydian Scale: Linear Descending…
C Mixolydian Scale: Do-X-Do Ascending…
C Mixolydian Scale: Do-X-Do Descending…
Note: While it’s possible to continue by singing a bunch of other musical patterns, the 80-20 Principle teaches us that a more efficient approach is to get your ear training material directly from the music that YOU want to play!
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