Fretwise Get the app

Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic

A Mixolydian b2 Scale

Mode 5 of Harmonic Major: Mixolydian with a lowered 2nd.

Notes ABbC#DEF#G
Formula 1 ♭2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps H W+H H W W H W
Mood Exotic, Tense, Dominant
Heard in Modal Improvisation

Interactive scale diagram

A Mixolydian b2 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

A Mixolydian b2 Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 5–9
e|-----------------------------5-6-9-|
B|-------------------------7-8-------|
G|-------------------6-7-9-----------|
D|-------------5-7-8-----------------|
A|-------5-7-9-----------------------|
E|-5-6-9-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 7–11
e|-----------------------------------9-10-|
B|---------------------------8-10-11------|
G|--------------------7-9-11--------------|
D|-------------7-8-11---------------------|
A|------7-9-10----------------------------|
E|-9-10-----------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 9–13
e|----------------------------------------9-10-12-|
B|----------------------------------10-11---------|
G|--------------------------9-11-12---------------|
D|--------------------11-12-----------------------|
A|---------9-10-12-13-----------------------------|
E|-9-10-12----------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 12–16
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-|
B|-------------------------------------14-15----------|
G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------|
D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------|
A|----------12-13-16----------------------------------|
E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 14–18
e|-------------------------------------------14-15-17-18-|
B|-------------------------------------15-17-------------|
G|----------------------------14-15-18-------------------|
D|-------------------14-16-17----------------------------|
A|-------------16-17-------------------------------------|
E|-14-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|

How to play A Mixolydian b2 on guitar

Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 A
♭2 Bb
3 C#
4 D
5 E
6 F#
♭7 G

Chords in A Mixolydian b2

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Mixolydian b2; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I A A7 Tonic
♭II+ Bbaug Bbmaj7#5 Supertonic
iii° C#dim C#dim7 Mediant
IV D Dmaj7 Subdominant
v° Edim Em7b5 Dominant
vi F#m F#m7 Submediant
♭vii Gm Gm(maj7) Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise A Mixolydian b2 anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed

Questions

What notes are in the A Mixolydian b2 Scale?
The A Mixolydian b2 Scale has 7 notes: A, Bb, C#, D, E, F#, G.
What chords are in the A Mixolydian b2 Scale?
The chords of A Mixolydian b2 are A (I), Bbaug (♭II+), C#dim (iii°), D (IV), Edim (v°), F#m (vi), Gm (♭vii).
What is the formula of the mixolydian b2 scale?
1 ♭2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W+H H W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play A Mixolydian b2 on the guitar?
The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Mixolydian b2 Scale in every key

More scales in A