C Mixolydian B6 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Baritone (B Standard) tuning — fretboard diagram
C Mixolydian B6 in Baritone (B Standard) — 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: Baritone (B Standard) (B-E-A-D-F#-B)
Also known as: melodic minor fifth mode, hindu
About Baritone (B Standard) Tuning
The baritone guitar is tuned a perfect fourth lower than standard guitar (B-E-A-D-F#-B), producing a distinctly beefy tone with serious low-end depth that sits perfectly between guitar and bass. Its rich, dark voice has made it a secret weapon in film scoring, ambient music, and moody songwriting where you need that unmistakable low-end warmth without losing clarity.
Unlike simply tuning a standard guitar down (which causes floppy strings and muddy tone), the baritone guitar uses a longer scale length (typically 27"-30") designed specifically for lower tunings. This gives each note clarity and definition even in the lowest register. Session musicians, film composers, and bedroom producers alike reach for the baritone when they need dark, atmospheric textures, doom-laden riffs, or simply a different sonic palette that standard guitar can't deliver.
Notable artists: Pat Metheny, Nels Cline, Brian Setzer, Baritone session players in Nashville
Best for: Moody songwriting, film scoring, ambient textures, doom metal, and any production that needs low-end depth with clarity
Musical Character
A 'sad dominant' — major 3rd says happy, b6 says sad, b7 says dominant. This emotional contradiction makes it perfect for scenes of bittersweet triumph or pyrrhic victory.