The MIXOLYDIAN Mode is Really Kind of Goofy

[@DavidBennettPiano]

The cease and desist letter is in the post.

[@lo-fi-luna]

No replys?

[@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.

[@m1chacha]

Exactly, that's what I was thinking - it generally gives (to me at least) more of a macho or heroic vibe which can come across as goofy within the context of certain characters.

[@limplad3]

Yes, exactly. Context is everything. In fact, I love Mixolydian, and most examples of Mixolydian music I can think of sound heroic, confident, adventurous, melancholic, bittersweet, funky, groovy, folky, medieval-ish, or sometimes even "exotic"... but usually not goofy. Mixolydian can also sound playful of course (there's quite a few VGM examples), but I feel it's not the norm.

[@essebrunoai]

As a Brazilian that spent a lot of time listening to the musical genre called Baião, the mixolydian mode evokes a feeling of dryness, hot and arid air, typical of the climate of the places where it's been invented. I believe the most important difference between Baião and the mixolydian modes showed on the video is that Baião doesn't really resolve the flat 7 tension - it let's it linger as if it where the natural resting place of the scale. Listen to some music written by Luiz Gonzaga to understand what i mean, it is truly something in itself!

[@joshmireles4999]

This is so interesting because the strongest reference I have for mixolydian has been in Worship music growing up, which always gave a “contemplative” or “yearning” feeling. b7-1 is so versatile 🤩

[@joshmireles4999]

This is so interesting because the strongest reference I have for mixolydian has been in Worship music growing up, which always gave a “contemplative” or “yearning” feeling. b7-1 is so versatile 🤩

[@beatrixlivesey-stephens1892]

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

[@cmdraftbrn]

as we send children off into the countryside with either a water turtle, fire lizard, or a plant.

[@huhneat1076]

I was about to quote this same thing

[@awp81]

Same here. I'm still laughing about it as I comment.

[@tyrrhus5248]

Yeah someone didn't like movie 4

[@BrazillianCara]

This line may become funnier when they eventually release a Pokémon game(s) in a region based on Italy.

[@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!

[@michaelmaloney8183]

I agree! As a fellow piper, it's really interesting how the bagpipes use a measly 9 notes within the Mixolydian mode to convey such emotions as sadness, joy, confidence, fear, light, darkness, and just overall, power... As an example, three of my favorite pipe tunes that convey some interesting emotions are... Cabar Feidh, Haughs of Cromdale, and Bronni's Blue Brozzi. Still can't believe that we can get so much expression out of only 9 notes lol.

[@TheNewCortadasPNC]

I always felt like the rock n roll sound was the biggest common denominator with mixie. What do you call a cross between Celtic music, the Blues, and the sound of kids having fun?

[@RyanLeach]

I love the alternate history versions with the raised seventh, such a great way to demonstrate what works by showing what doesn’t work!

[@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.

[@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).

[@tristanyoungquist7121]

Love your mode analysis series. Always coming back to this channel for inspiration!

[@cashwarior]

wow at first I was kinda like "okay but you're just using examples that make it sound silly" but as you explained and showed your reasoning behind this I was like "oh... i guess it is goofy 😳"

[@thegreatmup]

Same, once he explained the differing sound of the D minor chord, it made much more sense why the original sound is more goofy.

[@kreeperkiller4423]

goofy 😳

[@jessemyers_music]

Always loved the quick b7 for the fanfare opening to the pokemon rby end credits. Gentle touch of both adventurous and bittersweet while celebrating the completion of the elite 4.

[@dylandobbins]

Been really enjoying these mode videos. Would love if you could do a video on ear training intervals as the songs from these games are ingrained in my life.

[@PunkTenshi]

You are simply fantastic!! Thank you for your fun, high quality work. 😊

[@leixo]

Here in Brazil mixolydian is a mode used in baião a tradicional music, and even the lyrics isn't happy most of the times, the music is really fun and fun, people dance to it

[@anthonyramirez7272]

Thanks for making separate videos on each musical mode

[@aharris206]

1:18 Wow . . . When I first heard this, it immediately made me think of the "Barking Mad" music track in Runescape that plays in the Warewolf Agility Course! I wonder it's mixolydian too!

[@edonslow1456]

There's a great example of mixolydian in one of the two player mode songs in Sonic 2. Whenever I hear the mode, I'm taken back to my childhood and killing time over summer playing that game.

[@1Andypro]

Really great VG examples from my favorite mode. I was surprised by the "goofy" adjective, but you backed it up well. I personally always felt mode V was the "most normative" mode, or at least could have been - had modes originated in, say, Ireland rather than mainland Europe. For example, traditional Irish jigs and reels seem to default to mixolydian for the major key sound (and then mostly dorian for the minor key sound). There's also a case to be made that the natural 7th of the Ionian mode fits into fewer chords than the flat 7th. But of course, it's hard to pull yourself out of your musical upbringing and try to hear each of the modes without being bombarded by contextual memories.

[@noodlesthereugo9277]

My party by KKB I think uses this mode; it would explain the quirkiness of their sound. Then it has that Phrygian sounding solo

[@clusterfigure]

Cool! I'll have to listen to that again. And "It's Bugsnax" utilizes mixolydian as well with the I to minor v in the chorus.

[@frogabelle]

I never thought I'd get to be personally offended by an opinion on a musical mode, so thanks! This is great examination of how this mode can be used, however I have to point out that it can also be used for much more somber or even grave tunes, as the mixolydian "flat 7th" is iconic to traditional Irish Sean-nós singing! I was very excited when I saw the scale on screen as I actually recognised it from that. Great video, but unfortunately I'm patriotically obligated to say, "how dare you!"

[@alexhraha6056]

Jam bands love the mixolydian sound because of it's lighthearted happy sound

[@stllr_]

thank you for these mode videos. i've always thought modes were really interesting but couldn't wrap my head around why they were chosen for specific pieces, or hell how to even pick them out of a song. thanks for your service

[@zacharywong483]

Awesome video as always! These musical examples from so many games are spot-on and fantastic listening samples!

[@7ktraxbeats118]

Broo thanks for putting nuanced effort in your videos they are great

[@RobinsMusic]

5:32 cant help but think of the office at the beginning

[@guy-sl3kr]

Love how you put your patreon subscription as an item in the Goron shop haha

[@RobotFistFight]

Not gonna lie the normal g scale pokemon theme around 5:07 title show for some lovely outro music during the credits of one of the games.

[@thermitty_qxr5276]

10:15 The way the noted are beamed 😭😭😭

[@Xeroskia]

I feel like a lot of 'Camelot' Mario sports games and Golden Sun explore this vibe often. I'm no music expert, but the general vibe I get especially from the last examples feel very "Camelot" to me. Not sure if I'm attributing this to another musical aspect..

[@en4626]

These videos never fail to inspire me, great stuff!

[@peopleskingdomofwolcottia]

In regards to the commentary relating to the Blues, it doesn't have to only be one or the other.

[@cosmicminun59]

Another song from Ocarina of Time, the theme for the Forest Temple, also uses the mixolydian scale

[@elcazador3349]

5:31 Now I want a Legend of Zelda game set in fantasy Venice

[@thebigcheeze6430]

As great as the video was, the best part about it for me was seeing PilotWings64 mentioned not just by you but also by Modern Vintage Gamer on the exact same day. A relatively obscure game being mentioned twice seems almost impossible. Granted he was comparing the Switch Emulation to the OG n64 hardware, but just blew my dang mind! Would love to see a video where you analyze music from some game he loves that a bunch of people wouldn't know about or expect!

[@professoryeetus8955]

1:16 you're welcome, captions

[@itsaUSBline]

To be fair, I think a big part of why your version of the Pokemon title screen music sounded so sentimental was because you slowed the tempo down and played it on solo piano just as much as is was due to raising the 7th, so the example feels a little bit misleading. Like, you're still right, but the effect is definitely very much exaggerated by those other changes. If it were in the same tempo with the same arrangement and instrumentation, I feel like it wouldn't sound nearly as different. Anyway, I have to wonder how much of us hearing this sound as "goofy" comes down to a cultural association because it's so often used in that context. It's kind of a chicken or the egg situation, whether Mixolydian sounding goofy is due to some innate quality of its sound or because we're just so used to hearing it be used that way. For instance, if we grew up our whole lives hearing Mixolydian used in romantic scenes in films and TV shows, would we instead think of it as a romantic sound? Just some food for thought.

[@spoopu9947]

MY FAVORITE MODE LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@DanielBMusic5]

Great video dude

[@marinothird]

In my country have a whole genre on mixolidian called baião which I would aways describe as goofy to an outsider. Is awesome music regardless

[@wbuck]

I'm a little surprised you didn't mention the opening of Aerith's Theme among the I-v examples, though to be fair that tune abandons the mixolydian inflection pretty quickly.

[@Septimius]

I always consider Mixolydian to be the sci-fi mode. I think about Mass Effect etc

[@Septimius]

I just rewatched this video, and came down to the comments only to find that I already said this a year ago.

[@nuclearbirds]

I damn near lost it at the Zelda gondola music 💀💀💀

[@JoaoVitor-nq1bu]

On the Epitath example, could it actually be written in E Dorian in stead of A Mixolydian? That would have been my first guess, had you not mentioned it was in Mixo. Also, amazing video as always!

[@KenSlager]

This is good, keep going.

[@chantalakerman5837]

This was sick (again!). Thank you so much! P.S did you ever think about a whole video on Chrono Cross?

[@t.nieblas2679]

If there ever was a game soundtrack that was goofy and didn’t take it self too seriously, it was The Adventures of Billy Bayou on the NES. Were the songs on that game examples of using mixolydian?

[@williamcompitello2302]

Altered scale: "Here's my classless cousin."

[@james_subosits]

How would you describe the character of the Mixolydian section of Jupiter from Holst's "The Planets"? Personally I don't think it fits into any of the boxes you are trying to put Mixolydian in. I think you are undervaluing the importance of orchestration/sound design in deciding the character of a piece of music. For example, personally I think that giving the horns the melody in that section helps give it a regal sort of sound, and if it was bassoon instead it wouldn't come off nearly the same way.

[@maillardsbearcat]

Okay, so start a song with a flavorful modal vamp, then take it through the relative major/minor progression using the same motif, and then end with a II-V-I

[@thegoatriderfromthesands2646]

And if you want a "SERIOUS" song in Mixolydian, THEN LISTEN TO PHOTOGRAPH, EVERY TIME I DO, WE JUST CAN'T LAUGH! I WANT MY NICKELBACK!

[@TheAdvertisement]

It's just a silly little mode. A simple and goofy lad.

[@AedinHolzknecht]

Another common use of the mixolydian is in the progression 1 7 4 (where the seventh chord is flattened, eg. E D A), used in rock songs like Gloria, and a lot of AC/DC songs, among many others. My favourite use of these chords is in the film Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), which was quoted by Kate Bush towards the end of Hounds of Love, ad also used in Christopher Rouse's Trombone Concerto, and elsewhere. The mixolydian is played in two keys consecutively: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5XNonewlrOJoMU

[@TheGerkuman]

Electric Guitar Music Theory Channels: Mixolydian is cool Video Game Music Theory Channel: Mixolydian is goofy Not saying either is wrong, I think it shows how useful the modes are. You can get different feels depending on how you use them!

[@yataboi]

actually really disappointing to change voicing and timbre when 8-bit "removes mixolydian" from the Pokemon and Hyrule Field themes. Muddies the point trying to be made immensely.

[@TommyWashow]

Angus young has entered the chat

[@zatytom]

Outside of video game music, I associate Mixolydian with folk music, and in that context it tends to be more bittersweet, lacking the V-I, or any leading-tone resolutions, it feels unresolved with itself, unhappy despite the major nature of I.

[@totesmcpreesh7617]

love the video, the audio levels jump too high when you stop talking and the music plays. but it's a cool video and I'll put up with it, Thanks

[@flora4026]

the mixolydian to me can either be silly or folk-fantasy-sounding, like something from the shire

[@chigginheadD]

I wouldn't say silly, rather fun or playful

[@MasterHigure]

You seem to have made a conscious decision to annotate the mixolydian key with key signature as though it were the major key of the same name, and then use accidentals to lower the 7th. Is there a reason for this? Is it just to make the flat 7ths more visible on the sheet?

[@San-lh8us]

wait, what if you use the G major and the diminished(or half diminished, i still don't get the difference) B chord? that also uses the characteristic notes of the mode right?

[@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?

[@amoureux6502]

I wanna do that

[@elver2218]

OMG!

[@jamesenke7218]

Yeah. It's usually done to a waltz

[@sharpphilip]

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

[@BlueMeeple]

This! It was an instant like to the video. xD

[@TheBassPanda]

Missed it somehow; where is it ?

[@Taylurrrrrrr]

@@TheBassPanda 0:23

[@nathandorsey9145]

I think they've been on one or more "5 composers do X" videos together at least.

[@swill6500]

definitely a vicious storied history of hatred between the two channels lol

[@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.

[@MercuryHg34]

I'd actually argue that Dire Dire Docks isn't entirely mixolydian, because the 6 chord is borrowed from g minor (I'm talking about that absolutely sexy EbM7 chord), and we only get the E natural note in the 2 and 4 chords during that piece. Also glad someone else mentioned Kokiri Forest before I did.

[@JPBrooksLive]

@@MercuryHg34 I was considering the EbM7 as just another mode mixture I guess? Since it only shows up at the end of each big phrase. And yeah I absolutely LOVE that chord there. The "Mario cadence" gets a hell of a lot of mileage from Kondo!

[@bradoliver9324]

I agree that mixolydian is quite versatile, and that while some of the goofy examples given in the video are truly goofy, I would argue that Hyrule Field, and also every song you mentioned is not at all goofy, even without using minor feels. Hyrule Field and Kokiri Forest are both quite jaunty and smiley, but I'd also argue that they underscore a hero's journey and the mixed emotions of venturing into something new and exciting and also leaving behind familiarity. I would put it down as whimsical before "goofy".

[@WhitePaintbrush]

@@MercuryHg34 i still think of Dire Dire Docks as being in Mixolydian even if it doesn’t stricly _stay_ within it, because the bVI shows up less frequently than the bVII. It opens with a classic I bVII vamp as well.

[@MercuryHg34]

@@WhitePaintbrush That's a fair point, though I'd say because the VI chord is always a flat VI and never a natural vi chord that is normally part of the mixolydian mode. This is the awesome thing about music, the way you approach analyzing the piece can be influenced by the aspects of the tonality your brain resonated with the most.

[@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.

[@peev2]

Also Third stone from the sun.

[@KororaPenguin]

I associate it with "Old Joe Clark", a comic ditty.

[@andocobo]

I always associate it with Chuck Berry and Angus Young

[@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.

[@schwa4883]

In video games at least, it seems to be the most common besides adventurous.

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

I'd call it freespirited.

[@Kylora2112]

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).

[@zeta0134]

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 :)

[@ap1evideogame44]

Yeah I thought "hold on, he cheated!"

[@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!

[@Remour]

I agree, Context and instrumentation matters a ton, I don’t like how some try to apply different emotions to these modes since what emotion it gives off relies HEAVILY on how it’s used. The only inherent differences are how dark or bright the mode is, but either or can sound happy, sad, wondrous or playful. To give an example for major, when you harmony and melody heavily emphasizes the dissonance between the mediant, subdominant, leading tone & tonic scale degrees you get a much more mysterious tone, almost “eerie.” To me I consider this kind of use of Ionian as emphasizing the tonality of the mode since you are using the pitches which gives the mode its character.

[@jacobcowan3599]

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

[@rumblingrose49]

I was scrolling forever to find a comment on Clocks - it might not be the most common use of mixolydian, but it is an incredibly powerful one.

[@noelleelizabeth9991]

Chicago by Sufjan Stevens too

[@henriquemontalvao8492]

Baião is literally country mixolydian

[@simonschrenk6647]

Belfast Child by Simple Minds is THE mixolydian showcase for me. Love that tune!

[@early2000skid]

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 KZbinrs on the platform. Hilarious and informative vid, gj as always :)

[@nrauschermusic]

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

[@Yipper64]

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.

[@pizza2262]

this is a great point, if you want to learn more about something similar i'd suggest researching variatons on a theme. its a well studied topic and there are some great youtube videos on it. works great for different vibes like you said!

[@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.

[@rruhland]

Bringing those themes out of Mixolydian sounds really pretty but damn you’re right how much it just does not fit the situations in which they are supposed to be used.

[@wohdinhel]

Mixolydian is my favorite mode, I always think of it as the “Trigun mode” because the episode preview music is very clearly in Mixo, but frankly a lot of “spaghetti western” style music or other things meant to evoke cowboys uses it. It’s really interesting how many vibes can be evoked through Mixo. The lack of a LT makes it kind of perfect for video game music too, because it doesn’t have a final V-I cadence to signal an “end” meaning that you can very easily loop Mixo compositions without ever feeling like there’s a clear stopping point. The adventure can go on forever.

[@timnordberg7204]

never really thought about it until you mentioned spaghetti westerns, but non-V dom7 chords code as very "American", probably because of its proliferation through blues, rock, and funk.

[@pAWNproductionsDE]

For years I didn't use the mixolydian scale much specifically because it was hard NOT to make it sound goofy (or like cheesy dad-rock), until I listened to some japanese jazz. For example, "Clouds" (both the Tatsuro Yamashita and Minako Yoshida versions) heavily emphasize the mixolydian sound by using the 5th as a pedal bass note with chord changes over it. Personally I find the use of the IV chord over the 5th scale degree (ex. Bmaj7/C#) to be a really beautiful, ethereal sound. Really broke me out of the "mixolydian is goofy" mindset

[@gamestopholdmusic]

dad rock is great though 🙄

[@insanemtl5890]

I might be misinterpreting Mixo, but more than anything, I love it for how beautiful it can sound whenever it's going in the bittwesweet adventurous or medieval-ish areas, my favourite being Lake Of Rage from Pokemon and In Gods Country by U2 :)

[@kmw1191]

5:24 "we're here to catch magic rats, not fall in love in the Italian countryside" might be one of my new favorite quotes ever

[@kennyholmes5196]

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.

[@SamWickens]

Hey now, Malon's Gondola Training is the best Zelda spinoff and I'll hear no word against it!

[@smergthedargon8974]

Mixolydian, to me, is simply "Major but tolerable" I don't hear it as "goofy" so much as I hear it is "relaxed and comfortable".

[@sdw-hv5ko]

I also think the bVII-I sound has a certain power to it, which Hyrule Field is a great example of. It makes me think of a lot of rock/metal music from the 70s and 80s, which tended to be in minor or use a blues scale rather than a mixolydian scale, but still use that bVII-I resolution all the time

[@walkaboutarts]

I agree, to me Hyrule Field and that Pokemon Theme have a more "heroic" quality to them. for me the classic hero/adventure theme feeling consists of the I, the bVII and finally, the bVI, which I think would perfectly fit both zelda and pokemon themes

[@chaoinspace2]

Mixolydian is also used quite a lot in Indian Classical Music too.

[@andrewericdavison]

That theme from OOT is literally my shorthand for remembering what mixolydian sounds like. ❤

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

Not sure where you get that impression, most european folk music and medieval music is in mixo and it's all pretty edgy sounding. Go listen to the Perigurdino or the Sestrina, since you talked about Italian countryside

[@wellurban]

Interesting! The first example was definitely goofy, but overall I’ve tended to think of Mixolydian as playful and energetic rather than necessarily goofy. Particularly the bVII-I vamp, which Leonard Bernstein used as a defining example of Mixolydian by playing the “You Really Got Me” riff. Or as Signals Music Studio put it, it’s why “your Mum likes AC/DC”: you can get the bluesy/rocky/funky vibe of the flat 7th but the sing-along brightness of major.

[@TheAdvertisement]

10:14 Oh wow, never noticed how minor and slightly threatening the chords of Millenia Fair sounds by itself. The melody hides and blends with it really well!

[@theIpatix]

LOL, I would have never ever gotten the idea before to describe Mixolydian as goofy, but I guess it all makes sense now. In videogames I've always found it to be an exciting adventurous type of sound with the I to bVII changes (I guess Motoi Sakuraba introduced me into that). Thank you so much for making this video. I honestly never really believed I would hear someone talk about Mixolydian without talking about rock music all the time (I mean, I guess there are similarities, but perhaps my brain is just a bit twisted). So, how about Dorian next or was it already featured on 8 bit music theory before?

[@guyedwards22]

I will make the argument that Mixolydian has a somewhat hidden "Mystical" quality to it. There is an extremely warm, colorful magic sound you can achieve by mixing the fourth scale degree into the melodies over the I7 chord. The 7sus4 chord captures this really well; the verses in Toto's 'Stop Loving You' vamp between F#7 and F#7sus4, and the result is this feeling of intense freedom and flight. Inside The Great Deku Tree from OOT also demonstrates the sort of 'spiritualism of nature' vibe evoked by Mixolydian. If you have access to a piano, hold down the sustain pedal and descend through 1-b7-5-4-3-1 scale degrees repeatedly down successive octaves to get an idea of this mystical quality.

[@Razaak666]

Inside the Deku Tree is in F# Dorian, it's based around a minor third :)

[@griffinc466]

I often associate Mixolydian with Celtic and other related folk musics, cool to see how else it's used and perceived! Would love to see you look at modes of other scales like harmonic and melodic minor too!

[@Rextraordinaire]

I have never hear of this mode but the more I came to understand it, the more I recognized that this was all over the entire Wario Land 3 soundtrack

[@vgmkas]

It is, yep! Most songs in that game are a variation of the same Mixolydian melody over I-bVII!

[@jbradleymusic]

I immediately started humming the Chocobo theme before I even realized you were leading up to that. That stuff is potent. Also: "NO THANKS"

[@vgmkas]

Love that you touched on I-v rather than just the typical I-bVII! Adding bVI as a chromatic mediant to create bVI-bVII-I at points is also semi-common in Mixolydian tracks. I-bVII-iv is another favorite of mine that can imply Mixolydian b6 (an example being the Seaside Town theme from Super Mario RPG). The Wario Land 3 OST is nearly entirely in Mixolydian.

[@5BBassist4Christ]

I often think of the mixolydian mode as a "stately" mode. It is a mode that is comfortable where it's at. Whereas ionian (standard Major) is great for creating narrative tension, rising action and falling action, mixolydian is good at just chillin'. I think a lot of this is do to functional harmony. When you're on the tonic of an ionian mode, you're stable and resolved. You can leave the comfort of your home (tonic) by going to V or ii. This sets you up on a grand adventure that climaxes on the dominant V7, which resolves triumphantly back to I, -home. In this, it has a "there and back again" sensation. Mixolydian doesn't have this. It doesn't have a dominant, -it is its own dominant. It's not looking for a grand narrative structure of going out, being challenged, and returning triumphant. Mixolydian just is what it is, and is perfectly content where it's at. With this, I think there are a number of things you can do with a mixolydian scale. Because it is so stately (self-resolving, never going anywhere), it can be used for fanfares and royalty. There is no upward climb when you're king, so there is no melodic or harmonic need to raise tensions to grow and learn. But simultaneously, we often get bored when we're in one place for too long, and having nowhere to go can make us feel stuck. So mixolydian can also be used to create somber feelings of loneliness or depression. It can also be used for melancholy, as it doesn't want anything but to just be what it is. But lastly, mixolydian can be used to create a "perfect atmosphere", -and by that I mean anything from a city that nations from around the world revere, or a society that acts like they are perfect. Again, mixolydian doesn't need to go anywhere, so the "perfect atmosphere" doesn't need to improve. You should feel honored that you, o lowly peasant from a far off land, are gifted with this rare opportunity to visit our most glorious place. This, of course, could be used as a distraction to hide dark secrets, or a true state of one's genuine splendor.

[@daregularperson]

I’m surprised that you didn’t cover the “double plagal” cadence, but maybe there’s not many examples in video game music. The Beatles use this a lot, listen to Polythene Pam for an easy example. I -> bVII -> IV -> I

[@jimbo4931]

he talked about that in one his old videos, i think it was the pilotwings one

[@ilaytsa2685]

I have to admit I've never thought of the Mixolydian mode as goofy. To me it's like major, just more... Chill. Obviously not all of the time, but if the major scale usually ranges between "happy" to "dramatic", I'd say Mixolydian ranges between relaxed to cool or confident. I think it isn't inherently more goofy then major or lydian.

[@LambentSonata]

If David Bennett really does send a SWAT team to your house to arrest you, be sure to get it on video and post it to yewl tewb; _that_ should be interesting! 🙂 But no, I don't think Mixolydian sounds particularly "silly"; I think the only reason the music in your video is "silly" is because it's from silly games. It's neither silly-because-mixolydian nor mixolydian-because-silly; it's just silly music that just _happens_ to be mixolydian. Rather, I've always seen Mixolydian as being "somber but not tragic", with a distinctive medieval, dark-ages vibe to it. It brings up a feeling of being in the year 897CE. Which is a very different vibe than "silliness".

[@Morgoth714]

The I-iv progression you talked about at the end is something I've always called the Runescape progression since an overwhelming number of their tracks use it. It's like a melancholy medieval sound, which is exactly what Runescape was going for.

[@Benjy45RS]

First thing I heard as well!

[@raficusx]

Although I don't regard I-bVII as particularly "goofy", I think it embodies a particular static modal nature (from a lack of tritonal energy to propel it forward). The chords aren't DRIVEN by a circle of fifths movement you might find in other styles (jazz, blues, barbershop) as much as they ASSERTED, as you'd find in folk music. A lot of the triadic music in these cited games have a sense of nostalgia and "home" that benefit from a more folksy feel. You can find this in some modern musicals, like Hadestown.

[@arglebargle17]

Holy crap! It's rare that I vehemently disagree with something so extremely that isn't political. Declaring Mixolydian mode as goofy is like declaring the "Song of the Volga Boatmen" to be a cheerful jig. Mixolydian is "church mode." The most serious of songs are in mixolydian mode. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYSuf3SoftWlrZI I spent years composing for church orchestras and I loved Mixolydian mode precisely because it is NOT light. It's not campy. It's not humorous. You can find it in pop music with "Norwegian Wood", "Sweet Child of Mine",