The Mixolydian Cadence: A Bright, Bluesy Piano Progression (bVII–IV–I)

The Mixolydian cadence is the chord progression bVII–IV–I built from the major chords of the Mixolydian mode, such as Bb–F–C in C Mixolydian, and it gives the bright, anthemic sound heard in songs like With a Little Help from My Friends.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 14 min

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This lesson shows you how to build and play one of the most iconic rock and pop progressions, the Mixolydian cadence: bVII–IV–I. It suits piano players who know their basic major and minor triads and want a fresh, bright alternative to the usual pop progressions. It follows on from the idea of the plagal cadence (IV–I) and uses the Circle of Fifths, so a quick revision of both helps.

Step 1: Build the Mixolydian scale

The Mixolydian mode is a major scale with one change: the seventh note is lowered by a semitone. In C, that gives C D E F G A Bb. The Bb is the minor seventh (also called the dominant seventh), which is why a C7 chord (C E G Bb) captures the sound of this mode so well.

Build it on other roots too. For G Mixolydian, play all white notes from G to G, because the F# of G major comes down to F. Jason Zac recommends forming the mode on every key, because each one sits differently under your fingers on the keyboard, and that often leads you to different musical ideas.

Step 2: Harmonise the mode

Mixolydian is simply a major scale started from its fifth degree. C Mixolydian has exactly the same notes as F major, so it shares the same chords. A quick way to find the parent major scale is to go up a fourth from the root: C, D, E, F.

Building a triad on each note of C Mixolydian gives:

• I – C major
• ii – D minor
• iii° – E diminished
• IV – F major
• v – G minor
• vi – A minor
• bVII – Bb major

That is three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The key point is that in the Mixolydian world the major chords are I, IV and bVII, not I, IV and V as in the major scale.

Step 3: Play the cadence bVII–IV–I

Take the three major chords and play them in this order: bVII, then IV, then I. In C that is Bb major – F major – C major.

Hold the final I chord a little longer. This settles the ear and tells the listener which key centre you are in, just as the I chord is often held longer at the end of a ii–V–I in jazz. A simple rhythm is two counts of Bb, two counts of F and four counts of C. You can also stretch it out (for example a bar each of Bb and F with two bars of C) or speed it up.

This is the same movement heard in the Beatles' With a Little Help from My Friends. It has a brave, epic, group feeling, which makes it better suited to songs about community than to intimate love songs.

In other keys

• F Mixolydian: Eb – Bb – F
• G Mixolydian: F – C – G (all white notes)

Step 4: Improvise over it

Play the chords in your left hand only, holding the C chord longer, and improvise in your right hand. Use the Mixolydian scale, or try the major blues scale: the major pentatonic with an added flat third (in C: C D Eb E G A), which makes the line sound bluesy.

Step 5: Use the Circle of Fifths to transpose

Write out the circle: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F, and back to C. Any three neighbouring chords read clockwise form a Mixolydian cadence. Starting from Bb, move one step clockwise to F, then one more to C: Bb–F–C. Do the same from any point on the circle to find the progression in every key.

How to practise

1. Form the Mixolydian scale on all twelve roots.
2. Play bVII–IV–I in each key, holding the I chord longer.
3. Check each key against the Circle of Fifths.
4. Add right-hand improvisation over the left-hand chords.

Questions about this lesson

What is the Mixolydian cadence?

It is the progression bVII–IV–I, using the three major chords of the Mixolydian mode. In C it is Bb major, F major, then C major.

Which song uses the bVII–IV–I progression?

The Beatles' With a Little Help from My Friends uses this movement. It gives a bright, anthemic, group-spirited feel.

How do I find the Mixolydian cadence in any key?

Write out the Circle of Fifths and take three neighbouring chords moving clockwise, such as Bb, F, C or Eb, Bb, F. The last chord is your home key.

What scale can I improvise with over this progression?

Use the Mixolydian scale of the home key, or the major blues scale, which is the major pentatonic with an added flat third for a bluesy sound.

Practise it

• Circle of FifthsExplore the Circle of Fifths through keys, scales, chords and intervals.
• Cadence LibraryCompare piano cadences across keys and listen to how different chord movements create closure, suspense or a turn in a new direction.
• Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• Build Long, Emotional Piano Progressions With the Circle of Fifths (Cadences Explained)You can build long, emotional piano chord progressions by moving around the Circle of Fifths one cadence at a time, chaining perfect (V–I) and plagal (IV–I) cadences and adding minor chords for colour, before finally resolving back to your home key.
• 10 Types of Cadences Explained: Theory, Ear Training and PianoA cadence is a short chord progression of two to four chords, such as V–I (authentic), IV–I (plagal), V–vi (deceptive) or i–bVII–bVI–V (Andalusian), used to end, extend or redirect a musical phrase.
• One Mammoth Lesson: Major Scales in All 12 Keys, Circle of Fifths and Chord InversionsYou can practise chord inversions in all 12 keys by moving triads around the Circle of Fifths: go counterclockwise in authentic (V–I) cadences with your right hand climbing up the keyboard, then clockwise in plagal (IV–I) cadences with the chords descending, always keeping common notes and moving the others by the smallest step.
• Make Chord Practice Fun With the Circle of Fifths (Part 1)To practise major chords around the Circle of Fifths, play all 12 triads moving clockwise (the plagal direction) and anticlockwise (the authentic direction), keeping the common note and sliding the other two notes, then turn it into a rhythm workout by shrinking the arpeggio cycle from 8 beats down to 3 while the metronome stays at the same tempo.