Mixolydian Augmented Mode on Guitar: Notes, Chords & Examples

Mixolydian Augmented is a bright, tense, and slightly surreal dominant mode. It has the bluesy confidence of Mixolydian, but the raised 5th gives it a warped, floating quality that feels more fusion, progressive rock, and cinematic than classic rock.

If regular Mixolydian sounds earthy and open, Mixolydian Augmented sounds more unstable and colorful. It works beautifully over augmented dominant chords, especially 7#5, and can add instant sophistication to riffs, solos, and modal chord vamps.

You may also see this mode called:

Mixolydian #5
Mixolydian Augmented
The 3rd mode of Neapolitan Minor

How does it sound?

Before anything else, let’s hear how it sounds. This can best be done by playing a chord from the mode, and playing the notes of the mode arpeggiated on top of it. This is the best and quickest way to determine the feel of a mode.

This can be quickly done using SLModes, a software dedicated to the music modes, and the following sound was generated by it:

What Is Mixolydian Augmented?

Mixolydian Augmented is a dominant mode with a major 3rd, flat 7th, and raised 5th.

That means it has the core sound of a dominant 7th chord, but instead of a normal perfect 5th, it uses a sharp 5:

C to E = major 3rd
C to G# = augmented 5th
C to Bb = minor 7th

This gives the mode a strong C7#5 flavor.

On guitar, it sounds great for:

Fusion lines
Progressive rock/metal riffs
Tense dominant vamps
“Outside” blues-rock phrasing
Cinematic songwriting
Augmented chord movement

It is not as common as Dorian, Phrygian, or Lydian Dominant, but that is part of its appeal. It gives you a sound that feels familiar enough to use, but unusual enough to stand out.

Formula

The interval formula for C Mixolydian Augmented is:

1 2 3 4 #5 6 b7

In interval names:

P1 M2 M3 P4 A5 M6 m7

Compared to regular Mixolydian:

C Mixolydian: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7

C Mixolydian Augmented: 1 2 3 4 #5 6 b7

The only difference is the raised 5th.

That one note changes the whole personality of the mode.

Notes in C

The notes of C Mixolydian Augmented are:

C D E F G# A Bb

Scale degrees:

C = 1
D = 2
E = 3
F = 4
G# = #5
A = 6
Bb = b7

Use G# rather than Ab because the note functions as a raised 5th above C.

The Chord That Defines the Mode

The defining chord of C Mixolydian Augmented is:

C7#5

Notes:

C E G# Bb

This chord captures the mode because it contains the most important color tones:

C = root
E = major 3rd
G# = augmented 5th
Bb = flat 7th

Together, these notes create a dominant sound that does not feel fully resolved. The chord wants to move, but in modal music you can also treat it as the tonal center.

You can also expand the chord:

C9#5 = C E G# Bb D
C13#5 = C E G# Bb D A

The note F, the natural 4th, is also in the mode. However, it clashes strongly with E if held too long over a C7#5 chord. On guitar, it often works best as a passing tone, suspension, or melodic tension.

Chord Progression (Example)

Because C Mixolydian Augmented has a dominant tonic chord, the key is to make C7#5 feel like home.

If you resolve too strongly to F, the music may start to sound like C7#5 is just a V chord. For modal writing, keep returning to C or use a C pedal tone.

Roman numerals:

I7#5 – bVIImaj7 – IVmaj7 – I7#5

Chords in C:

C7#5 – Bbmaj7 – Fmaj7 – C7#5

This progression has a wide, floating fusion sound.

The C7#5 gives you the augmented dominant color, while Bbmaj7 and Fmaj7 soften the tension. The movement feels spacious rather than traditionally resolved.

Try playing this with clean chorus, delay, or a slightly overdriven fusion tone.

Guitar Fretboard Shape

Here’s the mode mapped across the full fretboard, generated with my software SLModes.

The diagram shows every occurrence of the mode across the neck:

🟢 Green dots = the root note, your anchor points
🟠 Orange dots = the rest of the scale tones

Why Guitarists Love This Mode

C Mixolydian Augmented is a great mode for guitarists who want something more colorful than standard pentatonic or natural minor vocabulary.

Emotional flavor

The mode has a strange mix of confidence and instability.

The major 3rd makes it bright. The flat 7 gives it a dominant, bluesy edge. The sharp 5 makes it tense, exotic, and slightly futuristic.

It can sound:

Mysterious
Slick
Tense
Dramatic
Fusion-heavy
Cinematic

Genres where it works well

This mode fits naturally into:

Jazz fusion
Progressive rock
Progressive metal
Instrumental guitar music
Cinematic rock
Experimental songwriting
Modern blues-fusion
Tense dominant chord sections

It is less common in straightforward pop or classic rock, but it can still work as a spicy passing color.

Tips for Practicing

To practice a mode effectively, you only need two things:

An instrument to play the mode (your guitar is ready to go!)
A backing track that provides a harmonic context

The fretboard diagram above already show you where the notes are. The remaining piece is choosing an appropriate backing track to improvise over.

Practice with a drone

The simplest option is a single C drone.

You can create one using:

A looper pedal
A synth drone
A sustained bass note in your DAW
An open C tuning
Or any other source of a continuous C note

Because the accompaniment consists of only a single note, you are responsible for highlighting the intervals that define the mode. The more intentionally you emphasize its characteristic tones, the more clearly the modal sound will emerge.

Create modal vamps with SLModes

While a drone is an excellent way to hear a mode in isolation, a modal vamp often provides a more musical and rewarding practice experience.

A well-designed backing track naturally emphasizes the mode’s characteristic intervals, allowing you to focus on phrasing, melody, and expression instead of constantly trying to establish the modal sound yourself. As a result, improvising in the character of the mode often feels more intuitive.

There are many ways to build modal backing tracks, but SLModes can generate them for you in just a few clicks. For example:

Arpeggiated backing tracks — a repeating pattern that outlines every note of the mode.
Chord vamps — progressions built from chords that best reinforce the mode’s unique character.

This video shows you an example: