The mixolydian mode is another common mode in popular music. We’ll start by listening to a rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in this mode so you can hear how it sounds.
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in mixolydian
As with the other modes you’ve learned about, the mixolydian mode can be thought of as either its own scale or as a shifted version of the major scale with a different note used as the tonal center. When thought of in this second way, the mixolydian mode uses the fifth note of the major scale as its home base. This means that G mixolydian is the relative mixoloydian of C major (G mixolydian uses the white keys of the piano):
G mixolydian scale
In the previous section we learned that the dorian mode has a lot of similarities with the minor mode (it differs by only one note). The mixolydian mode has a similar relationship with the major mode. To see why, let’s compare a mixolydian scale with its parallel major to highlight the differences, just as we did with the dorian and minor scales. We know that the C major scale uses the white keys of the piano. Now consider the C mixolydian scale on the piano:
C mixolydian scale
vs. C major scale
We can now see that the mixolydian scale differs from the major scale by a single scale degree; the 7th scale degree is lower by one note on the piano (a half-step). Because of this, four of the seven basic chords are the same in both modes. Below are the basic chords built from the mixolydian and major scales; the chords that are the same have been de-emphasized:
Basic chords in C major (top) vs. C mixolydian (bottom)
Just like in the dorian mode, you’ll need to emphasize certain chords and notes to give your song a mixolydian sound (otherwise it will just sound like it is in the major mode). I, ii, IV, and ivi are the same; iii˚ is diminished and usually avoided in popular music due to its dissonance; this leaves the v and VII chords, which are used to set the mixolydian feel.
The verse in “Clocks” by Coldplay is a song in the mixolydian mode that prominently uses the iv chord in this way:
“Clocks” by Coldplay
Another song in mixolydian using the v similarly is “It’s My Life” by No Doubt.
“It’s My Life” by No Doubt
The other contrast chord used to set the mixolydian mode is VII. “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC is an example of a song in the mixolydian mode that uses this chord:
“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC
Scale degree 7 in the melody of “Highway To Hell” (a half-step lower than scale degree 7 in major) also contributes to its mixolydian feel. “Sweet Child O' Mine” by Guns N' Roses is another example of a song in the mixolydian mode that uses VII:
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses
It’s not all classic rock and roll though. “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga uses VII this way too:
“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga
One thing to keep in mind is that a song doesn’t necessarily have to use any mixolydian specific chords if its melody is using the mixolydian scale to set the mode. “The Visitors” by ABBA uses a progression that could just as easily be major I → IV → I that nevertheless uses the mixolydian scale. As this song is analyzed in the mixolydian mode, the green scale degree 7 represents Bb in the key of C, giving the song a mixolydian feel.
“The Visitors” by ABBA
If the song had been written in the major mode, it would have used B naturals in the key of C. Here’s how it would have sounded:
“The Visitors” by ABBA (in major with B naturals)
So far we’ve focused on songs with sections that are purely in one mode or another. However, the truth is that in popular music, apart from major and minor, it’s actually fairly uncommon for a song to be entirely in a single mode (for instance, some of our examples above are in mixolydian but other parts of the same song are in major). While the mixolydian and dorian modes do occasionally show up in their pure form, songs written in the other three modes (phrygian, lydian, and locrian) are extremely rare. What is much more common, however, is to combine elements of different modes together in a single progression, a technique known as modal mixture. In the next section, we’ll explore how this works and discuss its role in popular music.
Check for Understanding
Which scale degree is different between the mixolydian and major modes, and how is it different?
Check for Understanding
Use the following chord charts of the relative modes C major, A minor, and G mixolydian to answer the questions below.
C major
A minor
G mixolydian
What chords in the minor and mixolydian modes correspond to the ii chord in the major mode?
What chords in the minor and mixolydian modes correspond to the vii° chord in the major mode?
What is the quality of v⁷ in the mixolydian mode? Hint: Think about the quality of the corresponding chord in the major mode.
What is the quality of I⁷ in the mixolydian mode? Hint: Think about the quality of the corresponding chord in the major mode.
