You may know that blues guitar players use a combination of Mixo- Lydian modes, minor pentatonic and blues scales in their solos but did you know that Mixo-Lydian modes also work beautifully in country guitar playing? Obviously the application of the Mixo-Lydian mode is different in country guitar playing than the blues guitarist's approach however the notes in the scale are still the same so that's exactly where we will start.
The Mixo-Lydian mode is a scale created by beginning on the fifth note of a major diatonic scale, here is how that works.
C major scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C If I began on the fifth note "G" and continued to play alphabetically until I reached the letter "G" again I will have played the "G" Mixo-Lydian mode.
To demonstrate I'll use a two octave C major scale C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C Begin on the note "G" to create the "G" Mixo-Lydian mode indicated by [] C - D - E - F - [G] - [A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - A When you play these notes the scale will neither sound country or bluesy it will just sound like a scale; it's a combination of the type of chord progression that is being played in the background and the unique stylistic moves the individual country or blues guitarist employs i.
e.
, hammer-on's; pull off; bends and slides etc.
, that gives the mode a 'country' or 'blues' flavor.
Moving the Mixo-Lydian mode over to the guitar fretboard.
Here's one way you could play the mode.
standard version - - - -2--3--5-- -2--3--5- --3--5- Next we'll add some hammer-on's and open strings for our country guitar version of the same Mixo-Lydian mode.
country version - - -0-- -0-h-2-h3- -0-h-2-h-3-- --3-- This country version of the Mixo-Lydian will sound great with a country chord progression like this: G /// | G /// | F2 /// | F2 /// | G --x- --3- --0- --5- --5- --x- F2 --x- --1- --0- --3- --3- --x- I'm going to extend the range of our mode another octave.
standard version - -5--6-- -4--5--7- --5--7- - - country version --0-- --0--6-h-8-- --0-h-2--5-h-7-- - - - Try playing both country versions of the mode as one long run; notice how the last note in the first scale is exactly the same as the first note in the second octave, that's fine you can play the same note twice and it will sound great.
country version (first octave) - - -0- -0-h-2-h3-- -0-h-2-h-3- --3- country version (second octave) -0- -0--6-h-8-- --0-h-2--5-h-7- -- -- -- Don't forget to pre-record some chords to have playing in the background as you experiment with this cool country scale on your guitar.
The Mixo-Lydian mode is a scale created by beginning on the fifth note of a major diatonic scale, here is how that works.
C major scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C If I began on the fifth note "G" and continued to play alphabetically until I reached the letter "G" again I will have played the "G" Mixo-Lydian mode.
To demonstrate I'll use a two octave C major scale C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C Begin on the note "G" to create the "G" Mixo-Lydian mode indicated by [] C - D - E - F - [G] - [A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - A When you play these notes the scale will neither sound country or bluesy it will just sound like a scale; it's a combination of the type of chord progression that is being played in the background and the unique stylistic moves the individual country or blues guitarist employs i.
e.
, hammer-on's; pull off; bends and slides etc.
, that gives the mode a 'country' or 'blues' flavor.
Moving the Mixo-Lydian mode over to the guitar fretboard.
Here's one way you could play the mode.
standard version - - - -2--3--5-- -2--3--5- --3--5- Next we'll add some hammer-on's and open strings for our country guitar version of the same Mixo-Lydian mode.
country version - - -0-- -0-h-2-h3- -0-h-2-h-3-- --3-- This country version of the Mixo-Lydian will sound great with a country chord progression like this: G /// | G /// | F2 /// | F2 /// | G --x- --3- --0- --5- --5- --x- F2 --x- --1- --0- --3- --3- --x- I'm going to extend the range of our mode another octave.
standard version - -5--6-- -4--5--7- --5--7- - - country version --0-- --0--6-h-8-- --0-h-2--5-h-7-- - - - Try playing both country versions of the mode as one long run; notice how the last note in the first scale is exactly the same as the first note in the second octave, that's fine you can play the same note twice and it will sound great.
country version (first octave) - - -0- -0-h-2-h3-- -0-h-2-h-3- --3- country version (second octave) -0- -0--6-h-8-- --0-h-2--5-h-7- -- -- -- Don't forget to pre-record some chords to have playing in the background as you experiment with this cool country scale on your guitar.