G’day! In this Fill Licks: Mandolin Lesson we’ll take a look at 4 movable licks that are built with the hybrid mixolydian blues scale. These licks work great when played between vocal phrases in a song, but can also be used in general improvisation. The licks are all positioned conveniently around their equivalent chop chord.

We’re in the key of C for this lesson, with licks over the C & G chords in movable patterns. As part of this lesson we’ll dive into some advanced theory (scales & arpeggios) to help you understand how to use these licks, move them to different chord positions and also start to build your own!

The Mixolydian Blues Scale is a hybrid scale containing the notes of the mixolydian, minor blues & major blues scales. We can actually simplify it to 2 scale patterns, the minor & major blues scales, as they contain all the scale tones required. For example, in the key of C:

C (Minor) Blues Scale = C Eb F Gb G Bb (Scale Tones – 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7)

C Major Blues Scale = C D Eb E G A (Scale Tones – 1 2 b3 3 5 6)

C Mixolydian Scale = C D E F G A Bb (Scale Tones – 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7)

C Mixolydian Blues Scale = C D Eb E F Gb G A Bb (Scale Tones – 1 2 b3 3 4 b5 5 6 b7)

For more info on notes on the fretboard, check out the Fretboard Freedom lesson so you can begin to move these scales, arpeggios & licks into different keys.

The first video lesson is available free below.

The full lesson is available to members, which:

• Includes 2 video lessons covering the scales, arpeggios, licks, practical theory to help using the licks, transposing and how to create your own licks;
• Includes the PDF tab/notation worksheet with scales & arpeggios plus the 4 lick variations;
• Downloadable MP3 play-along track of the example licks & backing tracks at tempo.

The PDF worksheet with the scales & arpeggios plus the licks in tab/notation is available to purchase separately below:

$6.00 – Purchase Worksheet (Tab/Notation) Only Checkout Added to cart

Lesson #1:

• Learn the first movable lick over the C chord;
• Note by note break down for each lick;
• Learn the movable C (Minor) Blues Scale.

Lesson #2:

• Learn all the other lick variations;
• Note by note break down for each lick;
• Learn the movable major blues scale & both the C major & C7 arpeggios.

Lesson #3: 

Members Only

• MP3 introduction lick example play-along & backing track (Key of C).