Mixolydian Rock

I–bVII–IV · Rock modal progression · C major · I–bVII–IV

Play this pattern

Mixolydian Rock is a chord pattern you can play in any key. The degrees are I–bVII–IV.

Major, but with the seventh chord dropped a semitone, giving the rough edge rock loves. Suits a mid-tempo riff.

Patterns are common chord moves. They are not the chart of a recorded hit.

Patterns are named by theory. Play them in any key that fits your voice.

Each song page has a chord chart, fingerings, and the same song in every key.

The pattern

I – bVII – IV

C · A# · F

Chord chart

Chord chart
1	C	A#	F

How to sing it

With the seventh lowered, it never resolves as neatly as a major key. Let the last note hang a step above or below the tonic rather than landing on it, and repeat the phrase like a riff.

In every key

In every key
Keys	Chord chart
C major · Written in this key	C · A# · F
Db major	Db · B · Gb
D major	D · C · G
Eb major	Eb · Db · Ab
E major	E · D · A
F major	F · Eb · Bb
F# major	F# · E · B
G major	G · F · C
Ab major	Ab · Gb · Db
A major	A · G · D
Bb major	Bb · Ab · Eb
B major	B · A · E

Heard in

Sweet Home Alabama · Lynyrd Skynyrd. D–C–G in D mixolydian runs through the whole song. A guitar riff sits on top of the chords, so pressing the chords alone feels quite different, and reading it as V–IV–I in G major is equally common.
Royals · Lorde. The very same D–C–G. The arrangement is nearly empty and the chords sound only rarely, so playing them continuously feels different.
Hey Jude · The Beatles. The outro only, repeating at length in F mixolydian. The front of the song is an ordinary major progression, not this pattern.

These songs use this pattern. This is not their chord chart: real recordings differ in key, rhythm and the chords they add.

Public-domain songs with this pattern

No Songbook entry uses this pattern as a run of chords.