B Mixolydian Scale

B mixolydian

Notes

B · C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A

Intervals

  • RootB (1P)
  • Major 2ndC♯ (2M)
  • Major 3rdD♯ (3M)
  • Perfect 4thE (4P)
  • Perfect 5thF♯ (5P)
  • Major 6thG♯ (6M)
  • Minor 7thA (7m)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EBC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABG♯ABC♯D♯EF♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯AEF♯G♯ABC♯D♯E
Open in visualizer →

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Modal character

B Mixolydian is the 5th mode of E Major — the same seven notes started from its 5th degree.

1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7

Characteristic note — flat 7th (♭7). The ♭7 is what gives Mixolydian its dominant sound: a major scale with a lowered 7th, it is the natural choice over an unaltered dominant chord.

Mixolydian is the mode of the V chord and lives over dominant voicings (7, 9, 13) and 7sus4. It is everywhere in blues, rock, funk, and jam-band vamps built on a single dominant chord.

Chords that use this mode

3-Notes-Per-String positions

Seven movable patterns, each covering all 6 strings with 3 consecutive scale tones per string. Root notes are shown in red.

All 7 patterns
Pattern 1open · frets 0–5
EBGDAE35EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯A
Pattern 2frets 2–7
EBGDAE357F♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯AB
Pattern 3frets 4–9
EBGDAE579G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯
Pattern 4frets 5–11
EBGDAE57912ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯E
Pattern 6frets 9–14
EBGDAE912131415C♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯
Pattern 7frets 11–16
EBGDAE121314151617D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯ABC♯D♯EF♯G♯

Quartal voicings

Stacked perfect 4ths across four adjacent strings, sorted nut to heel. Root notes are circled in red.

All voicings
EBGDAE35F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE57C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE3D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE57G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE79D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE57F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE912C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE912F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE79G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE121314D♯G♯C♯F♯
D# root
EBGDAE121314G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE121314C♯F♯BE
C# root

Diagrams

B Mixolydian Scale fretboard charts — tap any diagram to open it full size to save or print.

B Mixolydian Scale — notes B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A shown across the full guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12.
Whole neck — frets 0–12
B Mixolydian Scale — seven 3-notes-per-string positions shown as fretboard neck slices.
Seven 3NPS positions
B Mixolydian Scale — quartal voicings shown as chord-box diagrams for all four roots.
Quartal voicings — 3 string sets, sorted nut to heel