The MIXOLYDIAN Mode is Really Kind of Goofy

Of all the major modes, Mixolydian carries a uniquely lighthearted spirit. In this video I go through some examples of this in games, talk a little bit about what the mode isn't, and then take a look at one of the less lighthearted aspects of the scale. Enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:35 - What's the Mixolydian Mode
1:48 - The I-bVII vamp
5:48 - What the Mixolydian Mode isn't
8:47 - Not Always Goofy: The minor v
10:45 - Outro

#Mixolydian #LegendofZelda #8bitMusicTheory

[DavidBennettPiano]

The cease and desist letter is in the post.

[beatrixlivesey-stephens]

"We're here to catch magic rats, not fall in love in the Italian countryside" had me DYING

[emilywebzone]

I think mixolydian and more generally the bVII-I cadence is used in video game music in a more general sense to evoke a feeling of confidence. Sometimes that is juxtaposed with an absurd cartoonish scenario which makes it come across as a bit silly, but that's all it is, the context surrounding the confidence. To me the sound on its own feels much more boisterous and self-assured than anything else, which comes across slightly goofy in some video game scenarios, but has a certain wholesome stride that keeps it grounded.

[DeliciousOrange]

5:32 does this mean we can do the REVERSE and turn a romantic ballad into a goofy romp by just adding the mixolydian to an existing composition?

[JPBrooksLive]

Dire Dire Docks, Kokiri Forest, Zora's Domain, and Hyrule Field all are great mixolydian songs. I love the versatility of it, and it's always mesmerized me how many moods that mixolydian can evoke.

[sharpphilip]

The David Bennett reference made me chuckle. I hope you’re buddies!

[ScotsmanRS]

As a traditional Scottish musician, I found your take on mixolydian quite novel and surprising. A lot of our music uses this mode thanks to the bagpipes and I wouldn’t say it really fits any of the categories or moods described in this video.

As a 90s kid, I found your take on mixolydian to be immediately intuitive and relatable.

Context is everything, it seems!

[Kylora]

Mixolydian is *the* sound of rock & roll. It's the mode that lets you play E, A, and D major (the three "open" power chords on guitar, so the easiest to play) that plays really well with E and A minor pentatonic (having the major and minor thirds clashing is a fundamental aspect of the blues, where a lot of rock & roll comes from). The I-IV-bVII-IV vamp is to rock & roll as the I-V-IV-vi loop is to pop. "Gloria" (Them) and "What I Like About You" (The Romantics)are among some of the classics built on this foundation (basically a 12 bar blues that never goes to the bIII7).

[Josh_Fredman]

I have never heard the mixolydian mode described as goofy before! Usually people use words like mystical, bittersweet, cool, fun-loving, Celtic, bluesy, etc. (You touch on a couple of these in your video.) Interesting to hear a different take on my favorite mode. I can definitely see what you're getting at, though I would argue that it's just another facet of mixolydian, and not the main identity.

[usinganear]

I think another super important thing to take note of (no pun intended) is rhythm and timbre.

I noticed when you “changed” an example to being in major instead of mixo, you also changed the instrumentation from loud, dated samples (that all of those great games have, and it’s awesome of course!) to a slow, quiet piano. That has a huge effect regardless of changing the mode.

The argument can also be made that major is really goofy/silly but it really just has to do with how you use it and not it’s inherent qualities. I’ve heard mixolydian sound dark and surreal, major can be bittersweet and tug at your heartstrings—but both of those modes can also just be really campy and offputting as well.

Interesting how many factors combined influence our perception of these things!

[ShowWithNoName]

I always associated Mixolydian with epic rock music. Besides the classic I - bVII - IV - I chords from Hey Jude or Sympathy for the Devil, Bittersweet Symphony and Nowhere Generation use the flat 7 in their melodies as well as a I - v7 - bVIIsus2 - IV (or IVsus2) chord progression that has a really open sound.

[Yipper]

5:48 I like these sort of slight shifts to music in these videos as examples because if I where to make a game sound track id want to use these slight shifts to give something thats the same theme with a different vibe. Knowing that Mixolydian can go from goofy to romantic when you take it out is certainly interesting.

[zeta]

Okay, that was real slick at 10:11, adding one extra repetition of that intro section so that the timing worked well with your delivery. Your editing skills are just getting better and better :)

[jacobcowan]

Clocks by Coldplay is an excellent example of how Mixolydian can give a sense of wonder and drift rather than silliness or confidence.

[earlyskid]

Ok, but the fact that he switched up the instrumentation of Hyrule field to make a "Italian RomCom" rendition just to push home the point and make the joke really funny is why 8-bit is one of the best Youtubers on the platform. Hilarious and informative vid, gj as always :)

[TaleshicMatera]

My associations with the Mixolydian mode have always been rather Medieval; and just how the Medieval period has become a "toy" for fantasy settings to play in, that goofy/playful/not-too-serious vibe can arise pretty easily (just just as easily can achieve the darker more regal vibes of said period when orchestrated as such).

[Frederatormusic]

You show so many great examples as to why Mixolydian is good for heroism and adventure, not goofiness! Makes sense considering how Mixolydian (and Dorian) are pretty much the go-to for adventure in film music.

[nrauschermusic]

The steady improvement in editing and timing of the jokes in these videos is really joyous to watch

[NoahThys]

I wasn't aware of the mixolydian mode being able to create this effect! I had always learned about it as creating a more dreamy feel, given the lack of tension the leading tone usually creates. The Gapra Whitewood from Final Fantasy XIII is a good example of this.

[kennyholmes]

On the subject of the Root-Flat7th vamp, it really says a lot that even when you were playing just the chords just before you went into the actual retro theme, I could pretty much immediately recognize it as being the Chocobo theme.