Colour key
R234p567Each colour is a scale degree, counted from the key. A ♭ or ♯ note keeps its degree's colour: ♭3 is still amber.
C 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: B♭ major (this mode starts on its 2nd degree)
- Relative minor: G natural minor (starts on the 6th degree of B♭ major)
- Compared with C major: ♭3 E → E♭, ♭7 B → B♭
- Compared with C natural minor: ♯6 A♭ → A
C 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 C Dorian
Every chord in C Dorian
- Cm71/18easyfret 3· shell
- Dm71/15easyopen
- E♭maj71/20easyfret 11· shell
- F71/19easyfret 1· shell
- Gm71/16easyfret 3· shell
- Am7♭51/12easyfret 5· shell
- B♭maj71/19easyfret 6· shell
Each chord stacks every other note of the scale (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). Tap a row to hear it.
Iconic progressions in C 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 Cm 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 C 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.