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Scale · 7 notes

B♭ Mixolydian Scale

B♭ Mixolydian is a 7-note scale with the notes B♭ C D E♭ F G A♭. It sounds major with a flattened 7th, bluesy and relaxed, the sound of rock and dominant chords.

CDFGE♭A♭B♭

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGB♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDFGA♭B♭CDE♭FG

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

Notes in the B♭ Mixolydian scale

DegreeNoteName
1B♭Tonic
2CSupertonic
3DMediant
4E♭Subdominant
5FDominant
6GSubmediant
♭7A♭Subtonic

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

B♭ Mixolydian scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – W – H – W – W – H – 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 B♭ Mixolydian scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
IB♭B♭7
iiCmCm7
iii°D°Dø7
IVE♭E♭maj7
vFmFm7
viGmGm7
VIIA♭A♭maj7

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

Related scales

  • Parent major scale: E♭ Major, which has exactly the same notes as B♭ Mixolydian.

How to practise the B♭ Mixolydian scale

Learn each mode by its characteristic note: the one that makes it different from the major or minor scale it most resembles. Play a drone on the tonic while you play the scale to hear its colour.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the B♭ Mixolydian scale?

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

What is the formula for the B♭ Mixolydian scale?

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

What chords are in the B♭ Mixolydian scale?

Built from the scale in triads: B♭, Cm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭.

More B♭ scales

B♭ Major, B♭ Natural Minor, B♭ Harmonic Minor, B♭ Melodic Minor, B♭ Dorian, B♭ Phrygian, B♭ Lydian, B♭ Locrian, B♭ Major Pentatonic, B♭ Minor Pentatonic, B♭ Blues, B♭ Lydian Dominant, B♭ Whole Tone, B♭ Dorian ♭2, B♭ Lydian Augmented, B♭ Mixolydian ♭6, B♭ Locrian ♯2, B♭ Phrygian Dominant, B♭ Hungarian Minor, B♭ Double Harmonic, B♭ Diminished (W–H), B♭ Diminished (H–W), B♭ Bebop Dominant, B♭ 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.