E mixolydian chordson the Irish bouzouki, GDAD tuning

Main chords: E (I), D (♭VII), A (IV)

The scale: E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D

Drones: No open course is in the E chord in this tuning; D and A fit the key. The courses are G D A D, low to high.

Capo 2: play it with D mixolydian shapes, and every open course is in the key.

Common progressions

Basis: DADGAD Guitar blog (2009) and common session practice: the flat 7th's major chord (C in D mix) answers the tonic.

The seven chords in E mixolydian

  1. I E1222G♯EBE1 2 2 2
  2. ii F♯m1333AF♯C♯F♯2 4 4 4
  3. iii° G♯dim12G♯DBD1 0 2 0
  4. IV A1131AEC♯E2 2 4 2
  5. v Bm331BF♯BD4 4 2 0
  6. vi C♯m6fr1121C♯G♯EG♯6 6 7 6
  7. ♭VII D1DAF♯x 0 0 4
Hear them in the app ›

Other modes on E

E majorE dorianE minor

Other mixolydian keys

DGABCF

E mixolydian in other tunings

Irish bouzouki, GDAEIrish bouzouki, ADADMandolin, GDAE

All Irish bouzouki GDAD chords · Printable chart (PDF) · The app