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E A D G B E
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Chords in D Mixolydian

D Mixolydian is built from the notes D, E, F#, G, A, B and C. Its scale carries 1 sharp. Harmonising that scale in thirds gives seven chords — 3 majors, 3 minors and 1 diminished — starting on D as the I. The chord on the fifth degree is Am rather than a major V, so D Mixolydian has no leading tone and resolves by step and color instead of by dominant pull — the sound that separates it from a plain D minor.

Beyond those seven, D Mixolydian commonly borrows Dm (i), Edim (iiø), F (bIII), Gm (iv) and Bb (bVI) from the parallel minor — the mixture chords that give a progression somewhere unexpected to go.

The seven chords

ID
D major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, muted, open, fret 2, fret 3, fret 2. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 2, strings 4 to 6.
xx0232iiEm
E minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: open, fret 2, fret 2, open, open, open. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 2, strings 2 to 3.
022000iiiøF#dim
F# diminished, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 2, fret 3, fret 4, fret 2, muted, muted. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 2, strings 1 to 4.
2342xxIVG
G major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 3, fret 2, open, open, open, fret 3. Frets are relative to the capo.
320003vAm
A minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, open, fret 2, fret 2, fret 1, open. Frets are relative to the capo.
x02210viBm
B minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 2, open, fret 4, open, fret 2. Frets are relative to the capo.
x20402bVIIC
C major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 3, fret 2, open, fret 1, open. Frets are relative to the capo.
x32010

Extended to four notes each, the same seven degrees give D7, Em7, F#m7b5, Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7, Cmaj7.

Borrowed chords

iDm
D minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, muted, open, fret 2, fret 3, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo.
xx0231iiøEdim
E diminished, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: open, fret 1, fret 2, open, muted, muted. Frets are relative to the capo.
0120xxbIIIF
F major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 1, fret 3, fret 3, fret 2, fret 1, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo. Barre at relative fret 1, strings 1 to 6.
133211ivGm
G minor, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: fret 3, fret 1, open, open, fret 3, fret 3. Frets are relative to the capo.
310033bVIBb
Bb major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 1, open, fret 3, fret 3, fret 1. Frets are relative to the capo.
x10331bVIIC
C major, open position, capo 0. Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 3, fret 2, open, fret 1, open. Frets are relative to the capo.
x32010
Capo

Play D Mixolydian with no capo — its own shapes are already the easiest ones.

All eight capo positions for D Mixolydian →

Related keys

Open D Mixolydian in the explorer →