C# Mixolydian Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagram
C# Mixolydian Scale — Notes and Intervals
The C# Mixolydian scale is the fifth mode of the major scale and the heart of rock and roll and blues. On Bass, it contains the notes C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B. It combines the stability of a major sound with a more relaxed, folk-like ending, perfectly suited for soloing over dominant seventh chords and providing a bluesy, soulful vibe to major-key songs. The diatonic chords of C# Mixolydian are C#7, D#m7, Fm7b5, F#Maj7, G#m7, A#m7, BMaj7. Commonly used in Blues, Rock, Country, Folk, Funk. Notable players include Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Use over dominant 7th chords (7, 9, 13). The primary scale for blues-rock soloing over non-resolving dominant chords.
Notes: C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Formula: W-W-H-W-W-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: dominant
Diatonic Chords
C♯7 — D♯m7 — Fm7♭5 — F♯Maj7 — G♯m7 — A♯m7 — BMaj7
How to Play C# Mixolydian on Bass
On bass, locate C# on the A string at fret 4. Use a one-finger-per-fret approach starting from the root and span two to three strings. Keep your fretting hand relaxed and practice shifting between positions cleanly.
The C# Mixolydian scale contains 5 sharps (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#). Its relative minor is A# minor, which shares the same notes.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the C# Mixolydian scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (C#-F, D#-F#) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Try these progressions with the C# Mixolydian scale: C#7 - F#Maj7 - G#m7 - C#7 (I-IV-V-I) or C#7 - D#m7 - F#Maj7 - G#m7 for a more stepwise movement.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the C# Mixolydian scale to build walking bass lines by targeting chord tones on strong beats and using scale tones as approach notes. This is the foundation of functional bass playing.
The C# Mixolydian scale contains 7 notes (C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for C# Mixolydian
The C# Mixolydian scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.