Dorian mode on guitar

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).

The D Dorian mode on guitar

One position, frets 9–13, low E string first: low E: 10 12 13 (1 2 ♭3) · A: 10 12 (4 5) · D: 9 10 12 (6 ♭7 1) · G: 9 10 12 (2 ♭3 4) · B: 10 12 13 (5 6 ♭7) · high E: 10 12 13 (1 2 ♭3). 0 = open string.

1 is the root. Put it on the fret the table below gives for your key and the same shape plays that key.

The Dorian mode in all twelve keys

The minor pentatonic plus two

On guitar, Dorian is the minor pentatonic box with the 2nd and the major 6th added. In A Dorian at the 5th fret, those are B and F♯: the F♯ on the D string at the 4th fret and on the B string at the 7th is the note that gives "Oye Como Va" and Santana's solos their colour. Play it over a vamp between Am7 and D.

More scales

Dorian mode Pentatonic scale on guitar Major scale on guitar Blues scale on guitar Minor scale on guitar Minor pentatonic scale on guitar

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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