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6.16.5
Mixolydian Scale, Chords, and Chord Progression

Next up: another major mode, the Mixolydian, corresponding to the white keys on the piano beginning and ending with G:

G – A – B – C – D – E – F – G

It's the same as the major scale, except with a minor 7th.

(Remember, you can play a Mixolydian mode scale beginning with any note—it doesn’t have to be G—so long as you preserve the order of tones and semitones for the mode.)

The chords of the Mixolydian circular harmonic scale are identical to the normal (Ionian/Aeolian) circular harmonic scale except for the transition VII chord at the bottom, which, in this example, is F major instead of F♯º (Figure 126).

Chord progression Chase chart of harmonic scales for the Mixolydian mode.

FIGURE 126: Chord Map of Mixolydian Mode Circular Harmonic Scale

Once again, the V7 chord (D7 in the above example) contains a non-modal note, F♯, making the harmony indistinguishable from the key of G major. If you try to fix the problem by lowering the F♯ to F, or raising it to G, you lose both the leading tone and the tritone. Goodbye tonality.

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