A Mixolydian ♭6 Scale
A Mixolydian ♭6 contains 7 notes: A, B, C♯, D, E, F, G. It has 1 sharp: C♯. The step pattern is W–W–H–W–H–W–W. It is derived from A Melodic Minor.
Mixolydian b6 (Aeolian dominant) is an underappreciated mode that bridges major and minor. It starts bright but darkens unexpectedly, creating a tense, bittersweet quality that sounds cinematic.
Built as 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7, this is the 5th mode of melodic minor. The major 3rd says "bright" while the b6 says "something's wrong," creating emotional ambiguity. It outlines a V7b13 chord. It's the ideal scale for the V chord in a minor key, because the b6 beautifully anticipates the minor 3rd of the target i chord.
Think of Mixolydian with a dropped 6th. It's great for adding unexpected depth to otherwise major-sounding progressions. Use it over dominant 7th chords resolving to minor, emphasizing the b6 as your color note. Film composers love this sound for heroic sacrifice or bittersweet triumph scenes.