D# Minor Hexatonic Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
D# Minor Hexatonic in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The D# 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 D#, F, F#, G#, A#, D. 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: D#, F, F#, G#, A#, D
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.
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
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Standard Tuning
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Drop D
- D# Minor Hexatonic in DADGAD
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Open G
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- D# Minor Hexatonic in 7-string
- D# Minor Hexatonic in 8-string
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Drop C
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Open D
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Half Step Down
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Open E
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Open A
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Double Drop D
- D# Minor Hexatonic in Open C