D Mixolydian b6 Scale

What is the D Mixolydian b6 Scale?

Mixolydian ♭6 is the fifth mode of the melodic minor scale, blending the dominant ♭7 with a darkened ♭6 that gives it a bittersweet, almost cinematic quality. It works beautifully over dominant chords with altered extensions and shows up frequently in film scoring and Hindu-influenced fusion. Here's how the D Mixolydian b6 Scale lays out on the fretboard.

Notes and Positions

Mixolydian with a flat 6th; 5th mode of melodic minor. Also called Hindu or Melodic Major. On bass, this scale becomes a toolkit for strong roots, passing tones, and melodic fills that still support the groove. Think in root-on-E and root-on-A boxes, then adapt the same notes for 5-string bass when the low B string gives you another root below the pattern. In the key of D, the notes are: D, E, F#, G, A, Bb, C.

How to Use It

You'll often hear it in Jazz, Indian Classical, and Dominant chords. A good way to internalize the sound is to sing the root, then sing a few scale degrees before you play them.

Build two-bar bass lines that return to the root before experimenting with wider melodic movement. Use the interactive fretboard above to spot repeats of the same note on different strings and frets.