B MixolydianScale

Formula

W W H W W H W 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
The family

B Mixolydian on the chromatic circle

B Mixolydian is the 5th mode of the Major family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W W H W W W H 4 EI Ionian 5 F♯II Dorian 6 G♯III Phrygian ♭7 AIV Lydian 1 BV Mixolydian 2 C♯VI Aeolian 3 D♯VII Locrian B Mixolydian
The whole neck

B Mixolydian across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 3 4 5
Harmony

Chords in B Mixolydian

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
IB7B D♯ F♯ A
iiC♯m7C♯ E G♯ B
iii°D♯m7♭5D♯ F♯ A C♯
IVEmaj7E G♯ B D♯
vF♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
viG♯m7G♯ B D♯ F♯
♭VIIAmaj7A C♯ E G♯
Context

Where B Mixolydian fits

Major with a ♭7: blues-rock, classic rock, funk and folk over dominant 7 chords. The sound of I–♭VII–IV progressions.

B Mixolydian is mode 5 of the major family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Mixolydian scale in every key

B Mixolydian scale questions

What notes are in the B Mixolydian scale?

B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A. As degrees from the root: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7.

What is the B Mixolydian scale formula?

1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W W H W W H W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the B Mixolydian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of B Mixolydian up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape.

What chords are in the B Mixolydian scale?

B7 (I), C♯m7 (ii), D♯m7♭5 (iii°), Emaj7 (IV), F♯m7 (v), G♯m7 (vi), Amaj7 (♭VII).

When is the B Mixolydian scale used?

Major with a ♭7: blues-rock, classic rock, funk and folk over dominant 7 chords. The sound of I–♭VII–IV progressions.