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Scale · 7 notes

E♭ Mixolydian Scale

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

CFGD♭E♭A♭B♭

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGB♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CE♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FGA♭B♭CD♭FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭FG

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

Notes in the E♭ Mixolydian scale

DegreeNoteName
1E♭Tonic
2FSupertonic
3GMediant
4A♭Subdominant
5B♭Dominant
6CSubmediant
♭7D♭Subtonic

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

E♭ 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 E♭ Mixolydian scale

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

DegreeTriad7th chord
IE♭E♭7
iiFmFm7
iii°G°Gø7
IVA♭A♭maj7
vB♭mB♭m7
viCmCm7
VIID♭D♭maj7

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

Related scales

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

How to practise the E♭ 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 E♭ Mixolydian scale?

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

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

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

More E♭ scales

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