TheMixolydianBluesScaleTheMost

UsefulScaleofAll
BYGPEDITORS
November23,2016
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Hybridscalescombinetwodifferentscalesthatsharethesameroot.Theworldsfinestimprovisersuse
themasasourceforcreatinguniqueharmonictexturesintheirsolos.

Intheworldofguitar,oneofthemostpopularandusefulofthesescalesistheMixolydian/blueshybrid.A
combinationoftheMixolydianmodeandthebluesscale,theMixolydian/blueshybridscalereigns
supremeasthechiefsourceforcarvingthosemajor/minorbluesbasedlicksthatsoundsogoodover
dominant7thchords.

Asitsnameimplies,theMixolydian/blueshybridscaleiscreatedbysuperimposingthebluesscale(1b34
b55b7)overtheMixolydianmode(123456b7).FIGURE 1showsthisprocessin4thpositionin
thekeyofA.

Theendresultisaninenotescale(12b334b556b7)containingbothmajor(3rd)andminor(b3rd,
b7th)tonalitiesaswellasblues(b5th)andchromatic(2nddegreethroughthe5th)properties.Thismakesit
anidealchoiceforcoloringdominant7thchordsandMixolydianprogressions.

IfyouplaytheAMixolydian/blueshybridscalepatterninFIGURE 1likeyounormallywoulda
diatonicscale,youllquicklydiscoverthatitdoesntsoundquiteright.Thisisbecauseitisasyntheticscale
andnotintendedtobeusedinconventionalfashion.Itspurposeistohelpyouoverlapbluesscalephrases
withMixolydianlines(andviceversa).

FIGURE 1

Thiscomminglingcreatesamajor/minortonalityorMixobluesian,ifyouwill.Playthroughthemodern
blueslickinFIGURE 2foranexampleofthispushpullconcept.Keymomentsaretheminor3rdto
major3rd(CC#)moves,theminor3rdtomajor2nd(CB)slide,andthestrategicplacementoftheF#
(major6th)notes.Usingthisexampleasablueprint,revisitsomeofyourfavoriteAbluesscalelicksand
trydraftingafewC#,F#orBnotesontothem.

FIGURE 2

TheeverpopularE7#9chord(afixtureinbluesrockandhardcorefunk)canprovetheperfectvehiclefor
theEMixolydian/blueshybridscale.Thisisanenticingsituation,asthechordisnotonlydominantin
qualitybutalsocontainsasharp9th(F##orG)whichistheenharmonicequivalentofaminor3rd.Check
outhowthechordandthescalecomplementeachotherinthefunkybluesrockexampleinFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3

Nostrangertothejazzworldeither,theMixolydian/blueshybridscalecanbefoundattheheartofmany
beboplines.FIGURE 4matestheCMixolydian/blueshybridwithaC13chordforacoolridearound
thechordtones.

FIGURE 4

Thescalealsoadaptswelltotheworldofhardrock.FretboardscorcherssuchasEddieVanHalenand
AngusYounghavebeenknowntousetheMixolydian/blueshybridscaletofuelfierycadenzalickslikethe
oneinFIGURE 5.ThisonesettheAMixolydian/blueshybridscaleagainstanambiguousA5backdrop
typicalofthegenre.

FIGURE 5

Finally,ifyouchipawayafewnotesfromtheMixolydian/blueshybridscale,youllalsofindtheDorian
mode(12b3456b7),themajorpentatonicscale(12356)andtheminorpentatonicscale(1b345
b7)lurkingwithin.Withthisinmind,youllfindthattheMixolydian/blueshybridscale,whenusedwith
care,willworkinawidevarietyofsituations.NowgetouttherearestartplayingtheMixobluesianlicks!