Bb Mixolydian Scale on Piano

The Bb Mixolydian scale sounds bright but unresolved. It runs Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab and is written with three flats.

It shares its key signature with G minor, its relative minor.

Interval Circle

WWHWWHWC2DbD3Eb4EF5GbG6Abb7ABb1B

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

A major scale with a flattened 7th. Losing the leading tone removes the pull back to the tonic, so the scale can sit on a dominant chord indefinitely — the sound of blues-rock riffs and Celtic tunes.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4

Left Hand (ascending)

2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2

Why this fingering

3 black keys (Bb, Eb, Ab) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto C and F; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in Bb Mixolydian

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
BbBb4Root (1)42
CC5Major 2nd (2)11
DD5Major 3rd (3)24
EbEb5Perfect 4th (4)33
FF5Perfect 5th (5)12
GG5Major 6th (6)21
AbAb5Minor 7th (b7)33
BbBb5Octave (8)42

Other Mixolydian Scales

C Mixolydian
C – D – E – F – G – A – Bb
Db Mixolydian
Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb
D Mixolydian
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C
Eb Mixolydian
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db
E Mixolydian
E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D
F Mixolydian
F – G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb
F# Mixolydian
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E
G Mixolydian
G – A – B – C – D – E – F
Ab Mixolydian
Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb
A Mixolydian
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G
B Mixolydian
B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A

Other Bb Scales

Bb Major
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A
Bb Natural Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab
Bb Harmonic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A
Bb Melodic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – A
Bb Major Pentatonic
Bb – C – D – F – G
Bb Minor Pentatonic
Bb – Db – Eb – F – Ab
Bb Blues
Bb – Db – Eb – E – F – Ab
Bb Dorian
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
Bb Chromatic
Bb – B – C – Db – D – Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A