Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
B♭ Dorian
Natural 6th (♮6) over a minor 3rd and ♭7. Minor but warm and hopeful: soul, funk, jazz-rock.
Where you hear it: Groove vamps over i7 – IV7 ("So What", Santana).
Step pattern W – H – W – W – W – H – W
- Relative major: A♭ major (this mode starts on its 2nd degree)
- Relative minor: F natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of A♭ major)
- Compared with B♭ major: ♭3 D → D♭, ♭7 A → A♭
- Compared with B♭ natural minor: ♯6 G♭ → G
B♭ Dorian on the guitar
Pick a position below to outline it on the neck.
in the minor pentatonic: playedother notes of Dorian: not playedPlay runs up the position from its lowest note and back down; Sample melody plays a short tune using only its notes. Tap a position's name to see it on the neck.
Modes with the same notes as B♭ Dorian
Every chord in B♭ Dorian
- B♭m71/18easyfret 1· shell
- Cm71/13easyfret 3· shell
- D♭maj71/20easyfret 9· shell
- E♭71/19easyfret 8· shell
- Fm71/16easyfret 1· shell
- Gm7♭51/12easyfret 3· shell
- A♭maj71/19easyfret 4· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in B♭ Dorian
A few well-known chord loops that bring out this scale’s sound. Play one through, or tap a chord to hear it.
i – IV
Two chords hold the whole Dorian sound. The IV7 is a major chord that carries the natural 6th, the one note that separates Dorian from natural minor. “Oye Como Va” lives here.
i – ♭VII – IV
A rock vamp. The ♭VII falls a whole step from home as in natural minor, but the IV after it brings the natural 6th back, so it sounds minor and hopeful at once.
♭III – IV – i
A climb into home. ♭III steps up to IV (which holds the Dorian 6th) and then falls to i.
Sus and extension chords from each chord
From B♭m you can go through the 2nd of the scale to sus2 and 9 chords, through the 4th to sus4 and 11, and so on. All seven chords of B♭ Dorian.
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Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.
Hover a bubble to see it here; click to hear it and keep it.