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D mixolydian b6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, E at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

A string: A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

D string: D, E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

B string: C, D, E, F#, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

High E string: E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D, E at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

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D 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:

D

I

Dmaj
E

ii°

Edim
F♯

iii°

F♯dim
G

iv

Gm
A

v

Am
B♭

bVI+

B♭aug
C

bVII

Cmaj

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

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

E locrian #2F# alteredG melodic minorA dorian b2Bb lydian augmentedC lydian dominant

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

tip
  • Use D mixolydian b6 (Bb) over a V7 resolving to a minor chord: the flat 6th (Bb) 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 (Bb) 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 D; the borrowed darkness fits perfectly.

How to play D mixolydian b6 on guitar

Open D is itself the root and the open A gives the fifth, so five in-scale open strings can drone under everything played here. Aside from that open root, the closest fretted root is the 3rd fret of the B string. Fret 10 holds the lowest root. Am takes the v and Gm the iv, which means the dominant never resolves the way ionian trains you to expect.

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