The b mixolydian scale is an intriguing modal scale containing elements of several other popular scales, making it an excellent way for beginners to start exploring musical scales and providing many potential musical applications.
This mode also works well when creating chord progressions with bVII chord progressions – an often-used component in blues progressions.
Scale Patterns
The B Mixolydian scale offers a distinct sound, making it suitable for rock guitar solos and major blues progressions. Bebop chords often make use of its minor V (b7) note – something often heard in songs such as Louie Louie and Cinnamon Girl.
At times, this scale can also prove effective in jazz progressions. A common use is shifting bebop dominant seventh chords into b mixolydian to create an upbeat progression with tension from minor vi. Additionally, using it this way makes for an effective use in jazz when moving major scales into b mixolydian – another popular use in this style of music.
As with other modes, b mixolydian contains several patterns which can be used to construct chords and arpeggios – making it an invaluable scale to learn for any musical genre.
Step one of learning this mode involves finding the root of the scale. A quick and easy way of doing this is using fretboard diagrams on this page which show different roots of a two-octave B Mixolydian Modal Scale as shown here in standard notation, complete with note names and intervals displayed.
These fretboard diagrams give a good representation of how the B Mixolydian scale looks on a guitar neck and which fingerings to use – these should be familiar to most guitarists as these are also used when playing major scales.
Once you understand these shapes, they can then be manipulated up or down the neck to play any key of the B Mixolydian Scale. The fretboard diagrams provided on this page can assist in this endeavor – they come in various formats to meet different viewing preferences.
Another option for fretboard tools like JGuitar is using them. JGuitar displays the fretboard with any selected scale highlighted and highlights its associated pattern of fingerings – especially helpful if learning any particular scale in multiple keys! This tool can quickly help find and locate fingerings needed to play that scale quickly and accurately.
Root Notes
The b Mixolydian scale is identical to its major scale counterpart except for one small adjustment: its seventh note has been flattened out by one semitone (or one fret on guitar). This gives this mode its distinctive sound; otherwise all other notes remain the same and unaffected from its major scale counterpart. You can play it over any chord you like but due to its flattened seventh it works best when played over Major chords due to the flattened seventh.
Mixolydian is an increasingly popular choice among blues, rock, and jazz guitarists for improvising on various chords – particularly useful when pairing it with open strings – but you might also hear its presence in popular songs – play a few songs you love to find those featuring mixolydian-sounding riffs that stand out! To experience it firsthand.
To create a b mixolydian scale, start with the tonic note (in this instance B). Add each note of the major scale ascendingly until reaching a flattened seventh note – using JGuitar or other tools, view fretboard diagrams that highlight each note individually while also offering options to alter finger patterns when playing this scale from different positions on the fretboard.
Once you understand the patterns of a B Mixolydian Scale it will become easy to shift it up or down fretboard depending on what key you’re playing in. For further practice shifting up and down scale use this tab page: B Mixolydian Scale Tab Page (Coming Soon).
An effective way of understanding how a mode sounds is by comparing it with another mode. For instance, playing an E mixolydian song and then switching over to B Dorian will demonstrate their distinct sounds.
If you’re having difficulty hearing the differences among modes, experimentation may help. Try playing around with combinations of root notes and harmony notes – this will give you a better idea of how each mode sounds and its relationship to other scales and chords.
Flattened Seventh Note
The b Mixolydian scale contains all of the same notes as a major scale with one exception – its seventh note has been reduced by half step, giving it its distinct sound often heard in rock and blues music. Some even refer to its sound as possessing “attitude or sass,” since its flattened seventh is similar to dominance seventh chord; similarly, although major scale has one as well it doesn’t sound quite as cool when played on guitar.
Mixolydian scale is particularly valuable due to its ease of combination with other modes when playing guitar. Many guitarists will unknowingly switch into mixolydian without realizing it, such as when performing Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Its chords easily fit under your fingers and can easily be moved up or down on the fretboard to alter key.
One effective way of understanding the b mixolydian scale is comparing it with other modes. A great way to do this is starting at the tonic note of each scale and moving up or down from there to observe how patterns shift as you ascend or descend the scales. You might also try improvising over chord progressions using this scale.
If you want to learn how to create and name 7th chords from this mode, be sure to refer back to our lesson on Mode Chord Construction and Naming. It will show how to construct 7th chords based on the next mode note – for instance if using A-flat mixolydian mode you would produce an I7 chord (also known as F minor 7th chord).
The b mixolydian scale can also be useful for creating dominant 7th chords, the dominant chord in any major key that’s often found in blues, jazz and rock songs. It features an especially distinctive sound which can help musicians craft many types of dominant 7th chords; making it a top choice among rock and blues musicians alike.
Two-Octave Scale Pattern
B Mixolydian scale is an excellent way to play dominant 7th chords in jazz music, also known as bebop music. It shares similar notes to major scale but with a flattened seventh, making it more suitable for bebop musical stylings. You’ll hear this scale being used in songs such as “White Wedding” by Billy Idol or Lorde’s “Royals”.
B Mixolydian scale’s root note is B natural; to play it in other keys, simply change its root note by one half step while moving up or down by that amount. However, as its pattern remains unchanged when changing keys.
When playing mixolydian over chords, stressing chord tones will help the chord sound more harmonic and give it a strong bassline. Playing too many non-chord tones will result in weak and uninteresting sounding chords.
Note when playing the Scala is that it is modal scale, meaning it works well with many chords – though dominant 7th chords work particularly well, it may also work with minor 7th or even V chords.
B mixolydian scale is another widely used approach to improvising over G minor chords, as evidenced in several jazz standards such as Billy Joel’s “I Love New York” or Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight (Everything’s Alright).”
The b mixolydian scale is an ideal way for beginners to start learning the guitar scales, being easy to play while having an appealing sound. Furthermore, its natural notes offer ample practice opportunities when practicing scale patterns – just remember this scale does differ from C major. As such, practicing both scales separately will help develop your versatility as a guitarist; once you know its five patterns you can adapt them for any key by shifting up or down half steps as necessary.