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E♭ mixolydian b6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

A string: Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

D string: Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

G string: G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, G at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12

B string: Cb, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

High E string: F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

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Eb 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:

E♭

I

E♭maj
F

ii°

Fdim
G

iii°

Gdim
A♭

iv

A♭m
B♭

v

B♭m
C♭

bVI+

C♭aug
D♭

bVII

D♭maj

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

Same notes, different mode

Eb 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.

F locrian #2G alteredAb melodic minorBb dorian b2Cb lydian augmentedDb lydian dominant

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

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

How to play E♭ mixolydian b6 on guitar

Clamp a capo across fret 1 and play D fingerings, which means Eb mixolydian b6 arrives without reading five flats. Open G and B belong to the key, one at the third and one at the sixth, so they colour a line rather than pedal beneath it. Root at the 1st fret of the D string is nearest the nut, while fret 11 on the low E carries the lowest. Abm and Bbm fill iv and v.

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