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Scale · 7 notes

A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 Scale

A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 is a 7-note scale with the notes A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭. It sounds the fifth mode of melodic minor: Mixolydian with a flat 6th, major and bluesy with a touch of minor, used over dominant chords that resolve to minor.

CF♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

Purple = A♭ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every A♭ mixolydian ♭6 note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CE♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭F♭G♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭G♭

Blue = A♭ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale

DegreeNoteName
1A♭Tonic
2B♭Supertonic
3CMediant
4D♭Subdominant
5E♭Dominant
♭6F♭Submediant
♭7G♭Subtonic

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭.

A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – W – H – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

Chords in the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
IA♭A♭7
ii°B♭°B♭ø7
iii°C°Cø7
ivD♭mD♭m(maj7)
vE♭mE♭m7
VI+F♭+F♭7♯5
VIIG♭G♭7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

How to practise the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale

Learn it as a rotation of a scale you already know (lydian dominant is melodic minor starting on its 4th note, altered starts on its 7th) and play it over the matching chord with a drone on the root.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale?

The notes of the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale are A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭.

What is the formula for the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W – W – H – W – H – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.

What chords are in the A♭ Mixolydian ♭6 scale?

Built from the scale in triads: A♭, B♭°, C°, D♭m, E♭m, F♭+, G♭.

More A♭ scales

A♭ Major, A♭ Natural Minor, A♭ Harmonic Minor, A♭ Melodic Minor, A♭ Dorian, A♭ Lydian, A♭ Mixolydian, A♭ Major Pentatonic, A♭ Minor Pentatonic, A♭ Lydian Dominant, A♭ Whole Tone, A♭ Lydian Augmented, A♭ Hungarian Minor, A♭ Bebop Dominant, A♭ Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.