A# Minor Hexatonic Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

A# minor hexatonic scale — 6-string guitar fretboard diagramInteractive fretboard diagram showing the A# minor hexatonic scale on 6-string guitar with 22 frets. Notes: C#, D#, F, A, A#, C.C#D#FAA#CC#D#FAA#AA#CC#D#FAA#CC#D#FFAA#CC#D#FAA#CC#CC#D#FAA#CC#D#FAAA#CC#D#FAA#CC#D#CC#D#FAA#CC#D#FA1357911121315171921

A# Minor Hexatonic in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The A# Minor Hexatonic scale is a six-note scale that bridges the gap between the minor pentatonic and full modal scales. On Guitar, it contains the notes A#, C, C#, D#, F, A. It has a soulful, minor character but offers more melodic flexibility, making it a common choice for blues and jazz-rock soloing. Commonly used in Blues, Jazz-Rock, R&B, Soul. Notable players include B.B. King, Albert King, John Mayer. Use over m7 chords and blues changes. More flexible than minor pentatonic but less complex than full Dorian.

Notes: A#, C, C#, D#, F, A

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 7M

Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6

Formula: W-H-W-W-4-H

Number of notes: 6

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning