E Mixolydian Rock Backing Track

Build your own band: 16 moods and 20 styles in any key and tempo, with drums, percussion, bass, two chord instruments, a pad and lead fills, each with its own sound and volume.

This is an E major Mixolydian rock backing track: straight-eighths rock: driving root-note bass and palm-muted power chords with an open hit on the strong beats. It plays the I – ♭VII – IV – I (Mixolydian rock) progression in E major at 100 BPM in 4/4, round and round, so you can practise soloing, rhythm or both.

The player above is set to this track. Press Play, slow it down or speed it up, mute the guitar to play the chords yourself, or mute the bass to play the bass line. You can also switch key or style without leaving the page.

How the band plays it

Straight eighth notes, a big backbeat on 2 and 4, and a bass that locks to the kick drum, playing the root on every eighth.

The chords

I – ♭VII – IV – I: a major key with the flattened seventh chord borrowed from Mixolydian, the sound of classic rock. In E major that is E, D, A.

In numbers: I = E · ♭VII = D · IV = A. The numbers count from the key’s root, so the same progression works in any key.

The shapes the guitar plays

Power chords: the root and fifth, with the octave on top. Palm-mute them for the chug, let them ring on the accents.

Play the rhythm part yourself

Palm-mute the power chords on the eighths and lift your palm for an open, ringing hit on the first beat of each bar. Mute the guitar in the player and the band leaves the part to you.

What to solo with

E mixolydian: E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D. The ♭VII chord comes from it.
E major pentatonic: E F♯ G♯ B C♯. Safe on every chord.
E minor pentatonic: E G A B D. For a rockier edge.

Rock solos live in the minor pentatonic boxes; bend the second and fourth notes of the box up a whole step and repeat short licks with small changes.

Notes to aim for

Scales get you through the track; landing on the chord tones makes a solo follow the changes. The strongest notes over each chord are its 3rd and 7th:

Chord	Root	3rd	5th	7th
E	E	G♯	B	–
D	D	F♯	A	–
A	A	C♯	E	–

How to practise with it

Listen to one time round the progression and count the bars.
Play the root note of each chord on the beat, then the whole chord with the band.
Solo with E mixolydian, starting and ending phrases on E.
Aim for the 3rd of each chord as it arrives (the table above).
Raise the tempo by 5 BPM when it feels easy, or try the same track in another key.