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B♭ mixolydian b6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

A string: Bb, C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

D string: D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

G string: Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, Gb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

B string: C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

High E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

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Bb mixolydian b6

The mixolydian b6 scale, the fifth mode of the melodic minor scale, is a dominant scale whose top half turns minor: natural 3rd, flat 6th, flat 7th. The b6 gives the plain mixolydian sound a bittersweet, almost cinematic shading. It is the natural choice over a V7 resolving to a minor chord, spelling the coming darkness in advance.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

B♭

I

B♭maj
C

ii°

Cdim
D

iii°

Ddim
E♭

iv

E♭m
F

v

Fm
G♭

bVI+

G♭aug
A♭

bVII

A♭maj

Characteristic notes: Gb (b6) and Ab (b7), a dominant sound with a darkened sixth, halfway to minor.

Same notes, different mode

Bb mixolydian b6 uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

C locrian #2D alteredEb melodic minorF dorian b2Gb lydian augmentedAb lydian dominant

mixolydian b6 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Use Bb mixolydian b6 (Gb) over a V7 resolving to a minor chord: the flat 6th (Gb) previews the minor destination inside the dominant bar.
  • It is the fifth mode of melodic minor; over a static dominant vamp, alternate it with plain mixolydian and let the 6th tell the story.
  • Lean on b6 (Gb) falling to V, the scale's built-in sigh, especially over the chord's own 5th in the bass.
  • Try it over the IV7 chord in a minor blues in the key a 4th below Bb; the borrowed darkness fits perfectly.

How to play B♭ mixolydian b6 on guitar

Open D is the only open string in this key, and it lands on the third, so plan on fretting nearly everything. A capo at fret 1 hands you A fingerings, which means four flats stop mattering. Ebm and Fm hold iv and v. Fret 1 on the A string is the nearest root to the nut, letting box work start almost open even though the lowest root waits at fret 6.

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