A Dorian Scale

A dorian

Notes

A · B · C · D · E · F♯ · G

Intervals

  • RootA (1P)
  • Major 2ndB (2M)
  • Minor 3rdC (3m)
  • Perfect 4thD (4P)
  • Perfect 5thE (5P)
  • Major 6thF♯ (6M)
  • Minor 7thG (7m)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EF♯GABCDEBCDEF♯GABGABCDEF♯GDEF♯GABCDABCDEF♯GAEF♯GABCDE
Open in visualizer →

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Modal character

A Dorian is the 2nd mode of G Major — the same seven notes started from its 2nd degree.

1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

Characteristic note — natural 6th (♮6). The natural 6th is what separates Dorian from the natural minor scale, lending a brighter, jazzier color to an otherwise minor sound.

Dorian lives over minor 7th chords (m7, m9, m11) and especially m6 and m13, where the natural 6th is a chord tone. It is the go-to sound for minor-key vamps and modal grooves, and the mode of the ii chord in a major ii–V–I.

Chords that use this mode

3-Notes-Per-String positions

Seven movable patterns, each covering all 6 strings with 3 consecutive scale tones per string. Root notes are shown in red.

All 7 patterns
Pattern 1open · frets 0–5
EBGDAE35EF♯GABCDEF♯GABCDEF♯GA
Pattern 2frets 2–7
EBGDAE357F♯GABCDEF♯GABCDEF♯GAB
Pattern 3frets 3–8
EBGDAE3579GABCDEF♯GABCDEF♯GABC
Pattern 4frets 5–10
EBGDAE579ABCDEF♯GABCDEF♯GABCD
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BCDEF♯GABCDEF♯GABCDE
Pattern 6frets 8–14
EBGDAE912131415CDEF♯GABCDEF♯GABCDEF♯
Pattern 7frets 10–15
EBGDAE1213141516DEF♯GABCDEF♯GABCDEF♯G

Quartal voicings

Stacked perfect 4ths across four adjacent strings, sorted nut to heel. Root notes are circled in red.

All voicings
EBGDAE3EADG
E root
EBGDAE3ADGC
A root
EBGDAE35EADG
E root
EBGDAE35F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE35BEAD
B root
EBGDAE57F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE57ADGC
A root
EBGDAE79EADG
E root
EBGDAE79ADGC
A root
EBGDAE79BEAD
B root
EBGDAE912F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE912BEAD
B root

Diagrams

A Dorian Scale fretboard charts — tap any diagram to open it full size to save or print.

A Dorian Scale — notes A, B, C, D, E, F#, G shown across the full guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12.
Whole neck — frets 0–12
A Dorian Scale — seven 3-notes-per-string positions shown as fretboard neck slices.
Seven 3NPS positions
A Dorian Scale — quartal voicings shown as chord-box diagrams for all four roots.
Quartal voicings — 3 string sets, sorted nut to heel