The mixolydian mode is one of the most widely used is jazz. There are several reasons for this: first, it’s the only dormant 7 mode in major keys, and dominant 7 chords are everywhere in jazz (and in plenty of other styles too.) Second, they sound great in blues tunes (plenty of those, too!) because most blues tunes use mainly dominant chords.
As we’ve seen in previous lessons, the “old view” of mixolydian is “when you play a major scale starting on its 5th, that’s mixolydian.” True, but super helpful. The new view is (in my opinion, anyway) better: “Mixolydian is a major scale with a lowered 7 (1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8.) The major 3 and b7 of the mode match what you find in dominant chords. That’s why they are related.”
I’ve used the term “vanilla” to describe mixolydian. What I mean is that this is the most “un-altered” dominant 7 scale there is. No b9, #11, or b13 here! Just good old 9, 11, and 13 extensions. Result: dominant flavor, no tension. (And yeah, I like vanilla just fine.)
Hopefully you’ve already checked out the New View of the Modes Intro and Overview videos, and looked over the pdf files. (Trust me, it’s worth it to do this first!) Then, it’s time to dive in to the Mixolydian mode! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Download the “New View” Mixolydian pdf file here. It includes parts for all instruments; just print the ones you need. Then,
- Watch the “New View” Mixolydian video here.
- If you haven’t already, I strongly advise you to get the iReal Pro app. It’s very cool, not expensive, and I include a LOT of iRP practice tracks throughout the web site.
- Download the Mixolydian Workout (8 bars each) here
- Download the Mixolydian Workout (4 bars each) here
- Download the Freddie Freeloader practice track here
- Learn the tunes I suggested on the mixolydian handout (and any others you like…there are plenty!) You can download the How To Learn New Tunes pdf here for some tips.