STRINGSCALES

D♭ mixolydian Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

A string: Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11

D string: Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11

G string: Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

B string: Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

High E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

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Db mixolydian

The mixolydian mode is a major scale with a flat 7th, the mode of the fifth degree. It is the sound of the dominant 7th chord stretched into a scale, which makes it the working scale of blues rock, country twang and jam band vamps. Anywhere a song sits on a 7th chord without resolving, mixolydian is home base.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D♭

I

D♭maj
E♭

ii

E♭m
F

iii°

Fdim
G♭

IV

G♭maj
A♭

v

A♭m
B♭

vi

B♭m
C♭

bVII

C♭maj

Characteristic note: B (b7), the flat seventh that makes mixolydian the go-to scale over dominant chords.

Same notes, different mode

Db mixolydian 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.

Eb minor · relative minorF locrianGb major · relative majorAb dorianBb phrygianCb lydian

mixolydian in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Aim at the flat 7th (B) over a dominant chord: it is the note that makes Db7 sound at rest instead of leading anywhere.
  • Bluesify it: bend the 3rd (F), add the flat 3rd as a passing note, and Db mixolydian becomes roots rock vocabulary immediately.
  • Vamp I to bVII (B) major chords (both in the scale) for the classic rock and jam-band mixolydian groove in Db.
  • Over a static 7th chord, alternate mixolydian runs with the Db major pentatonic to lighten the dominant color.

How to play D♭ mixolydian on guitar

One open string only belongs here, the B, and it is the minor seventh rather than the root, so open-string tricks mostly do not apply. Capo at fret 1 recovers C fingering, which lets the whole key run on borrowed shapes. Lowest root is fret 9 on the low E, and fret 2 on the B string puts one within reach of open position. Box one closes at fret 13, so the second shape starts high on the neck. Chord ii is Ebm.

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