An essential scale for classic blues and rock solos, the Mixolydian mode is loved by everyone from B.B. King to Guns N’ Roses – here’s how it works

Like its Lydian cousin, the Mixolydian mode deviates from the major scale by just one note – the major 7th, which is lowered by a semitone to become a minor 7th. It’s a crucial difference that gives Mixolydian licks and chord progressions a bluesier edge than the sometimes overly bright-sounding major scale.

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