Ethan’s workouts this month focus on understanding the Mixolydian mode and then learning a fiddle tune in that mode. The Mixolydian scale is similar to a major scale, but with a flatted seventh note. In the key of A, that would mean a G natural rather than G sharp for the seventh note. Music in the Mixolydian mode is often described as having a bluesy or funky sound, and in the case of some fiddle tunes, a lonesome quality. You’ll learn a number of Mixolydian scale patterns and then tackle “Shaking Down the Acorns,” a great fiddle tune in A Mixolydian. In this video, you’ll learn the basic A Mixolydian scale and then a familiar pattern in thirds based on that scale.
