Formula
- Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7.
- Steps: W W H W H W W (2 2 1 2 1 2 2 semitones).
- Parent scale: 5th mode of melodic minor. G Mixolydian b6 = notes of C melodic minor from G: G A B C D Eb F.
- On C: C D E F G Ab Bb (from F melodic minor). On E: E F# G# A B C D (from A melodic minor).
Alternative names: Aeolian dominant, Mixolydian b13, “Hindu scale” (a commercial name), major-minor. In Carnatic music it corresponds to the melakarta raga Charukesi.
Characteristic note and color
It is literally half major and half minor: the lower tetrachord is major (C D E F), the upper one is minor/Phrygian (G Ab Bb C). The b6 over a major chord is the signature: a melancholic yet bright, epic-nostalgic, “bittersweet” color.
Diatonic chords (C Mixolydian b6)
| Degree | Triad | Seventh |
|---|---|---|
| I | C | C7 |
| ii° | D° | Dø7 |
| iii° | E° | Eø7 |
| iv | Fm | Fm(maj7) |
| v | Gm | Gm7 |
| bVI+ | Ab+ | Abmaj7#5 |
| bVII | Bb | Bb7 |
Typical gestures: I – iv (C – Fm, with the b6 as the third of the iv: it is the “major-minor” modal interchange of pop), I – bVII – iv – I, I – v – iv.
Where it is used (chord-scale)
- V7(b13) with natural 9th in a minor key: G7(b13) in C minor with the melodic minor of C (G A B C D Eb F). Compared with Phrygian dominant (which has the b9), it has the natural 9th: a softer minor dominant.
- “Suspended” dominant chords toward the minor: E7 → Am with F# in the melody.
- Major tonic with a minor color: a major I over which the melody insists on b6 and b7.
Use in genres
- Pop and rock: the I – iv alternation (C – Fm) of Beatles-style pop and the ballad (e.g. “In My Life” by The Beatles uses a minor iv in the chorus; “Creep” by Radiohead closes the cycle with Cm in G major: I – III – IV – iv). These songs are not “in Mixolydian b6”, but the I – iv – bVII color is exactly that of the mode.
- Film music: bittersweet and “nostalgic” epic themes with a major tonic and a minor sixth.
- Indian music: the raga Charukesi (Carnatic), also widely used in Bollywood soundtracks.
- Melodic and power metal: phrases in major with the b6 for a “heroic-melancholic” color.
Melodies and basses
- The b6 falling to the 5 over the major I is the most expressive gesture.
- The bass often descends 1 – b7 – b6 – 5 under major chords (C – Bb – Ab – G as the bass, with harmony C – Bb – Fm/Ab – G).
Common mistakes
- Putting in the major 6th (A in C) out of habit: you are back to Mixolydian.
- Using it on a V7 that has the minor 9th: there you need Phrygian dominant or diminished.
- Confusing the b6 with the #5: over a major chord with a perfect 5th, Ab is a b13 (a tension), not an altered fifth.
Exercise
- Loop C – Fm – C – Bb with a melody that leans on the Ab over the Fm and resolves it to G.
- In A minor play E7 with F# and C in the melody (E Mixolydian b6) and compare with F and C (E Phrygian dominant).
- Write an 8-bar theme in C Mixolydian b6 for a “nostalgic” scene and orchestrate it with strings and horns.
Connections
Melodic minor and its modes; Mixolydian mode; Phrygian dominant; Modal interchange; Raga: introduction; Chord-scale theory.