D Dorian mode

The notes of the D Dorian mode

D E F G A B C

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Steps from note to note: 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 semitones (whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half, whole).

The notes of C major, started on its 2nd note. What makes it Dorian: the major sixth (B).

In Hz, from D4: D4 293.7 · E4 329.6 · F4 349.2 · G4 392.0 · A4 440.0 · B4 493.9 · C5 523.3.

The D Dorian mode on the piano

White keys: D E F G A B C; no black keys.

For the fingering, slide the thumb under after the black keys, never onto one.

The D Dorian mode on guitar

One position, frets 9–13, low E string first: low E: 10 12 13 (D E F) · A: 10 12 (G A) · D: 9 10 12 (B C D) · G: 9 10 12 (E F G) · B: 10 12 13 (A B C) · high E: 10 12 13 (D E F). 0 = open string.

The root D sits at fret 10 on the low E string and at fret 5 on the A string. Slide the same shape there for any other root.

The easiest mode to find

D Dorian needs no sharps or flats: play the white keys from D to D. Against a Dm chord the B is what makes it Dorian rather than D minor (which would have B♭). "So What" by Miles Davis is a D Dorian vamp; a loop of Dm7 to G is the quickest way to hear it.

More scales

Dorian mode D major scale on guitar D minor pentatonic scale D major pentatonic scale D major scale on piano D blues scale C major: scale and chords

How this page works

Hear it plays the scale up and down at 100 BPM on one of four Brumm sounds. Take it gives the same notes as a MIDI file and a WAV. − and + move the root. Every note here is computed from the formula.

Sources

Scales and modes: Open Music Theory, musictheory.net. Piano fingerings: the standard scale-book fingerings (ABRSM scale books; Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist, part 3). Trumpet valves: the standard B♭ trumpet fingering chart (Yamaha, Bach). Hz: A4 = 440 Hz, ISO 16.

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