C Mixolydian B6 Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

C Mixolydian B6 in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The C Mixolydian B6 scale is a melancholic dominant scale used when a song is in a major key but the dominant chord needs to resolve into a minor key. On Guitar, the notes are C, D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb. It provides a bridge between the bright major and the sad minor worlds, perfect for emotional transitions. Commonly used in Jazz, Film Scores, Classical, Melodic Metal. Notable players include Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone. Use over dominant 7th chords that resolve to minor (V7 → im). The scale that bridges major happiness and minor sadness.

Notes: C, D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7m

Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 b7

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

Number of notes: 7

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

Also known as: melodic minor fifth mode, hindu

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