Skip to content
MusicTheoryGym

Scale · 7 notes

D♭ Mixolydian Scale

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

FC♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FA♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭E♭FG♭

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

Notes in the D♭ Mixolydian scale

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

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

D♭ 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 D♭ Mixolydian scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
ID♭D♭7
iiE♭mE♭m7
iii°F°Fø7
IVG♭G♭maj7
vA♭mA♭m7
viB♭mB♭m7
VIIC♭C♭maj7

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

Related scales

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

How to practise the D♭ 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 D♭ Mixolydian scale?

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

What is the formula for the D♭ 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 D♭ Mixolydian scale?

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

More D♭ scales

D♭ Major, D♭ Melodic Minor, D♭ Dorian, D♭ Lydian, D♭ Major Pentatonic, D♭ Minor Pentatonic, D♭ Lydian Dominant, D♭ Whole Tone, D♭ Lydian Augmented, D♭ Bebop Dominant

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.