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Guitar scale · Aeolian dominant

A Mixolydian b6 Scale

Mode 5 of Melodic Minor: Mixolydian with a lowered 6th. A major scale with ♭6 and ♭7.

Notes ABC#DEFG
Formula 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps W W H W H W W
Mood Bittersweet, Bluesy, Open
Heard in Over 7♭13 chords, Jazz Improvisation

Interactive scale diagram

A Mixolydian b6 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

A Mixolydian b6 Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 5–9
e|-----------------------------5-7-9-|
B|-------------------------6-8-------|
G|-------------------6-7-9-----------|
D|-------------5-7-9-----------------|
A|-------5-7-8-----------------------|
E|-5-7-9-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 7–11
e|----------------------------------7-9-10-|
B|-----------------------------8-10--------|
G|----------------------7-9-10-------------|
D|---------------7-9-11--------------------|
A|--------7-8-10---------------------------|
E|-7-9-10----------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 9–13
e|----------------------------------------9-10-12-13-|
B|----------------------------------10-12------------|
G|--------------------------9-10-12------------------|
D|------------------9-11-12--------------------------|
A|------------10-12----------------------------------|
E|-9-10-12-13----------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 12–16
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------14-15----------|
G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------|
D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------|
A|----------12-14-16----------------------------------|
E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 14–18
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-|
B|----------------------------------15-17-18-------|
G|-------------------------14-16-18----------------|
D|----------------14-15-17-------------------------|
A|-------14-16-17----------------------------------|
E|-15-17-------------------------------------------|

How to play A Mixolydian b6 on guitar

Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 A
2 B
3 C#
4 D
5 E
♭6 F
♭7 G

Chords in A Mixolydian b6

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Mixolydian b6; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I A A7 Tonic
ii° Bdim Bm7b5 Supertonic
iii° C#dim C#m7b5 Mediant
iv Dm Dm(maj7) Subdominant
v Em Em7 Dominant
♭VI+ Faug Fmaj7#5 Submediant
♭VII G G7 Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the A Mixolydian b6 Scale?
The A Mixolydian b6 Scale has 7 notes: A, B, C#, D, E, F, G.
What chords are in the A Mixolydian b6 Scale?
The chords of A Mixolydian b6 are A (I), Bdim (ii°), C#dim (iii°), Dm (iv), Em (v), Faug (♭VI+), G (♭VII).
What is the formula of the mixolydian b6 scale?
1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W W H W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play A Mixolydian b6 on the guitar?
The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Mixolydian b6 Scale in every key

More scales in A