The Mixolydian ♭6 mode on bass:
notes, formula and position

The Mixolydian ♭6 mode has 7 notes: 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. In A, that gives A, B, C♯, D, E, F and G. The 5th mode of melodic minor: Mixolydian with a minor sixth, between major and minor.

Also called: Hindu scale, Aeolian dominant, mode V of melodic minor.

Formula and notes

1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7

The steps between the notes, from the root to the octave: whole step – whole step – half step – whole step – half step – whole step – whole step. In A:

Where the Mixolydian ♭6 mode comes from

It is the 5th mode of melodic minor: you play the notes of melodic minor starting from its 5th degree. The Mixolydian ♭6 mode in A therefore has the same notes as D melodic minor. What changes is the home note: the root A, the note your line keeps coming back to.

One position on the neck

The Mixolydian ♭6 mode in A, in the 5th-fret position: one finger per fret, from the 4th to the 8th fret, on all four strings. The numbers are the degrees; the root is in gold.

The same position as bass tab (fret by fret, from the low E string to the G string):

G|-4--6--7-|
D|-5--7-|
A|-4--5--7--8-|
E|-5--7-|

For another key, move the whole shape: the root on the E string sets the key (3rd fret for G, 8th fret for C).

The sound of the Mixolydian ♭6 mode

5th mode. Mixolydian with ♭6. The ♭6 adds an Indian/exotic color.

You mostly hear it in jazz, fusion and world music.

Which chords to play it over

In A, the Mixolydian ♭6 mode fits A7 and A7♭13. On bass, keep the root on the strong beats and use the other notes to connect the chords.

Neighbouring scales

These scales differ from the Mixolydian ♭6 mode by a single note. Comparing them lets you hear exactly what that note brings.

• The natural minor scale: ♭3 instead of 3.
• The Mixolydian mode: 6 instead of ♭6.
• The Phrygian dominant scale: ♭2 instead of 2.

Practice it with UnitBasse

This diagram shows a single position, in a single key. In UnitBasse, this scale is shown across the whole neck and in all twelve keys, as note names, intervals or degrees, with one color per degree. You can listen to it, see the chords that go with it, switch keys in one click, and play it over a chord chart with BackTrack, the app’s backing band. The app has 69 scales in 12 families.

Frequently asked questions