Where to capo for F# Mixolydian
Put the capo at fret 4 and play F# Mixolydian using D Mixolydian shapes. That is the easiest of the eight positions ranked below, and it is what most players reach for. Against playing F# Mixolydian open, it drops the mean difficulty of the key's seven chords from 5.2 to 3.4 and gains 11 ringing open strings.
You want F#. Capo 4 and play in D.
All eight positions, ranked
Each row transposes F# Mixolydian down by that many frets to find the shapes your hand would actually make, then scores the best voicing of all seven chords — fewer fingers, less stretch, closer to the nut, fewer muted strings. Lower is easier. Standard tuning (E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4).
| Capo | Shapes you play | Open strings | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | D Mixolydian | 19 | 3.4 |
| 2 | E Mixolydian | 14 | 4.3 |
| 7 | B Mixolydian | 10 | 4.4 |
| 6 | B# Mixolydian | 15 | 4.7 |
| None | F# Mixolydian | 8 | 5.2 |
| 5 | C# Mixolydian | 3 | 5.6 |
| 1 | E# Mixolydian | 6 | 5.6 |
| 3 | D# Mixolydian | 2 | 6.2 |
What you are playing
The seven chords of F# Mixolydian are F#, G#m, A#dim, B, C#m, D#m, E — the ones the ranking above is scored against. Their diagrams are on the F# Mixolydian key page.