STRINGSCALES

E mixolydian b6 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

D string: D, E, F#, G#, A, B, C, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

G string: G#, A, B, C, D, E, F# at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11

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

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

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E 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

Emaj
F♯

ii°

F♯dim
G♯

iii°

G♯dim
A

iv

Am
B

v

Bm
C

bVI+

Caug
D

bVII

Dmaj

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

Same notes, different mode

E 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# alteredA melodic minorB dorian b2C lydian augmentedD lydian dominant

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

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

How to play E mixolydian b6 on guitar

Root and fifth both come free here: low E and high E ring the tonic open while the open B supplies the fifth, so a pedal is available without fretting anything. Open A and open D are in the key too, which puts five of the six open strings at your disposal. Next box takes over at fret 4. Caug marks the bVI+, meaning an augmented triad is built into the key rather than borrowed.

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