Fretwise Get the app

Guitar scale · Aeolian dominant

Bb Mixolydian b6 Scale

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

Notes BbCDEbFGbAb
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

Bb 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.

Bb 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 6–10
e|--------------------------------6-8-10-|
B|----------------------------7-9--------|
G|---------------------7-8-10------------|
D|--------------6-8-10-------------------|
A|--------6-8-9--------------------------|
E|-6-8-10--------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 8–12
e|-------------------------------------8-10-11-|
B|--------------------------------9-11---------|
G|------------------------8-10-11--------------|
D|----------------8-10-12----------------------|
A|---------8-9-11------------------------------|
E|-8-10-11-------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 10–14
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-14-|
B|-------------------------------------11-13-------------|
G|----------------------------10-11-13-------------------|
D|-------------------10-12-13----------------------------|
A|-------------11-13-------------------------------------|
E|-10-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 13–17
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-|
B|-------------------------------------15-16----------|
G|----------------------------13-15-17----------------|
D|-------------------13-15-16-------------------------|
A|----------13-15-17----------------------------------|
E|-13-14-16-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 15–19
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-|
B|----------------------------------16-18-19-------|
G|-------------------------15-17-19----------------|
D|----------------15-16-18-------------------------|
A|-------15-17-18----------------------------------|
E|-16-18-------------------------------------------|

How to play Bb Mixolydian b6 on guitar

Find the root first: Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Bb 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 6–10. 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 Bb
2 C
3 D
4 Eb
5 F
♭6 Gb
♭7 Ab

Chords in Bb Mixolydian b6

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

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I Bb Bb7 Tonic
ii° Cdim Cm7b5 Supertonic
iii° Ddim Dm7b5 Mediant
iv Ebm Ebm(maj7) Subdominant
v Fm Fm7 Dominant
♭VI+ Gbaug Gbmaj7#5 Submediant
♭VII Ab Ab7 Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise Bb Mixolydian b6 anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed

Questions

What notes are in the Bb Mixolydian b6 Scale?
The Bb Mixolydian b6 Scale has 7 notes: Bb, C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab.
What chords are in the Bb Mixolydian b6 Scale?
The chords of Bb Mixolydian b6 are Bb (I), Cdim (ii°), Ddim (iii°), Ebm (iv), Fm (v), Gbaug (♭VI+), Ab (♭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 Bb Mixolydian b6 on the guitar?
The root Bb is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 6–10, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Mixolydian b6 Scale in every key

More scales in Bb