Mixolydian

Major without a leading tone

Mixolydian is major with a lowered seventh degree. On G that is an F instead of F♯. This removes the leading tone, the cadence no longer aims, and the typical folk and rock sound of the sequence G–F–C arises. The semitone step between the seventh degree and the octave falls away: take it away and the goal-directedness disappears at once, and the scale sounds old, modal, like a folk song.

Where you hear it

A well-known example is the bagpipe: the Scottish Great Highland bagpipe plays a scale without a leading tone that comes close to A Mixolydian, and its music therefore sounds modal. Many old-time fiddle tunes move in this space. You recognise the mode by ear like this: does it sound like major, but the seventh does not pull? Mixolydian. Not every lowered seventh degree makes a piece Mixolydian, however: in major it also occurs as a brief move towards the subdominant. A piece is modal only when the mode carries over longer stretches and the cadences work accordingly.

Common mistakes

• Practising Mixolydian as major from the fifth degree: Without a drone and clear phrasing the mode falls back into major.
• Interpreting every lowered seventh modally: It can also be a brief move to another chord.
• Bringing the leading tone back: With F♯ it is G major.