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Guitar scale · Mixolydian mode

Eb Mixolydian Scale

Major scale with a ♭7 degree, pairing effortlessly with dominant 7th chords in blues-rock.

Notes EbFGAbBbCDb
Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps W W H W W H W
Mood Bluesy Major, Free, Energetic
Heard in Classic Rock, AC/DC, Grateful Dead, Southern Rock

Interactive scale diagram

Eb Mixolydian 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.

Eb Mixolydian 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 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------13-14----------|
G|----------------------------12-13-15----------------|
D|-------------------11-13-15-------------------------|
A|----------11-13-15----------------------------------|
E|-11-13-15-------------------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 13–17
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-16-|
B|-------------------------------------14-16----------|
G|----------------------------13-15-17----------------|
D|-------------------13-15-17-------------------------|
A|----------13-15-16----------------------------------|
E|-13-15-16-------------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 15–19
e|-------------------------------------------15-16-18-|
B|-------------------------------------16-18----------|
G|----------------------------15-17-18----------------|
D|-------------------15-17-18-------------------------|
A|----------15-16-18----------------------------------|
E|-15-16-18-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 18–22
e|-------------------------------------------18-20-21-|
B|-------------------------------------20-21----------|
G|----------------------------18-20-22----------------|
D|-------------------18-20-22-------------------------|
A|----------18-20-22----------------------------------|
E|-18-20-21-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 20–22
e|-------------------------------20-21-|
B|-------------------------20-21-------|
G|-------------------20-22-------------|
D|-------------20-22-------------------|
A|-------20-22-------------------------|
E|-20-21-------------------------------|

How to play Eb Mixolydian on guitar

Find the root first: Eb is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Eb 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 11–15. 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.

Eb Mixolydian uses exactly the same notes as Ab major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Ab Major Scale.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 Eb
2 F
3 G
4 Ab
5 Bb
6 C
♭7 Db

Chords in Eb Mixolydian

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

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I Eb Eb7 Tonic
ii Fm Fm7 Supertonic
iii° Gdim Gm7b5 Mediant
IV Ab Abmaj7 Subdominant
v Bbm Bbm7 Dominant
vi Cm Cm7 Submediant
♭VII Db Dbmaj7 Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

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Questions

What notes are in the Eb Mixolydian Scale?
The Eb Mixolydian Scale has 7 notes: Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db.
What chords are in the Eb Mixolydian Scale?
The chords of Eb Mixolydian are Eb (I), Fm (ii), Gdim (iii°), Ab (IV), Bbm (v), Cm (vi), Db (♭VII).
What is the formula of the mixolydian scale?
1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W W H W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play Eb Mixolydian on the guitar?
The root Eb is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 11–15, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Mixolydian Scale in every key

More scales in Eb