Bb Mixolydian: Fretboard Guide
The Bb Mixolydian scale has the notes Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G and Ab. It is the fifth mode of Eb major, so over a Bb7 chord you can play the Eb major scale and land on the right sound.
The lowest root is on the 1st fret of the A string, and the 6th fret of the low E string gives the second. Many players type it as B flat Mixolydian, but on a chart it is Bb. A first look at bebop scales shows where a dominant scale goes in jazz.
Play the Bb mixolydian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Bb mixolydian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bb | 1 | Root | 0 |
| C | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| D | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| Eb | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| F | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| G | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| Ab | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
Bb mixolydian scale notes:
How the mixolydian scale is built:
The mixolydian scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-W-W-H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 5 of the Major Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
It is also known as Dominant Scale.
Bb Mixolydian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (A)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the Bb mixolydian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the mixolydian scale, starting from a different degree.
The mixolydian scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
