Scales and modes
Dorian mode
The Dorian mode is the second mode of the major scale, with the formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7: a minor mode with a major sixth that sounds brighter than natural minor.
What is the Dorian mode?
Dorian is the second of the seven modes of the major scale. Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. It is a minor mode (minor third) but with a major sixth.
In A: A B C D E F# G, the notes of G major played from A. In D: D E F G A B C, the notes of C major.
Compared with the natural minor scale, also known as the Aeolian mode (A B C D E F G), only one note changes: F# instead of F. That note makes Dorian brighter, a little funky and less melancholic.
How do you play the Dorian mode on guitar?
A Dorian at the 5th fret, root on the low E string:
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5, 7, 8 | A B C |
| 5 | 5, 7, 9 | D E F# |
| 4 | 5, 7 | G A |
| 3 | 4, 5, 7 | B C D |
| 2 | 5, 7, 8 | E F# G |
| 1 | 5, 7, 8 | A B C |
Shortcut: it is the A minor pentatonic box at the 5th fret plus the 2 (B) and the 6 (F#). The F# notes sit on the A string 9th fret and the B string 7th fret. To extend it to other positions, show A Dorian on the fretboard with the guitar scales tool in interval mode.
Which chords do you play Dorian over?
- Minor vamp with a major IV: Am7 D (or Am7 D9). That is the progression of Santana's Oye Como Va, in A Dorian. The D chord contains F#, the 6 of the mode.
- A static minor chord: a long Dm7, as in Miles Davis's So What, in D Dorian.
- The ii in a ii-V-I: over Dm7 G7 Cmaj7, Dm7 is the ii, and D Dorian uses exactly the notes of C major. That is the starting point for improvising over a ii-V-I.
More generally, Dorian works over a minor seventh chord that acts as a ii or as a modal tonic. Over the iii or vi of a major key (Em7 or Am7 in C), you hear Phrygian and Aeolian instead.
A Dorian lick to play right now
Loop Am7 D, two beats each, and play in the 5th-fret shape:
- Over Am7: high E string 5th fret (A), B string 8th fret (G), B string 5th fret (E), G string 7th fret (D).
- Over D: B string 7th fret (F#), hold it with vibrato.
Moving from G to F# highlights the third of D and makes the Dorian sound obvious. Play the same phrase with F (6th fret) instead of F#: you hear Aeolian, and the D chord no longer fits.
Key takeaways
- Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7, a minor mode with a major sixth.
- A Dorian = notes of G major; D Dorian = notes of C major.
- Minor pentatonic + 2 + 6.
- Use it over Am7 D, a static m7 chord and the ii of a ii-V-I.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dorian and natural minor?
The sixth: major in Dorian (F# in A), minor in natural minor (F). Dorian sounds brighter and fits a major IV chord (D in A minor), while natural minor calls for a minor iv (Dm).
How do I find the Dorian mode of a key?
Dorian starts on the 2nd degree of the major scale. C major gives D Dorian, G major gives A Dorian, F major gives G Dorian. The other way round, to play X Dorian, use the major scale a whole step below X.
What styles use the Dorian mode?
Funk, modal jazz, Latin rock (Santana), a lot of Celtic folk and psychedelic rock. Whenever a progression alternates a minor chord with the major chord built on its fourth (Am and D, Em and A), think Dorian.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
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