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Guitar scale · Phrygian natural 6

B Dorian b2 Scale

Mode 2 of Melodic Minor: Dorian with a lowered 2nd. A minor scale with a Phrygian edge and a major 6th.

Notes BCDEF#G#A
Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps H W W W W H W
Mood Dark, Jazzy, Suspended
Heard in Over 7sus4♭9 chords, Modal Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

B Dorian b2 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

B Dorian b2 Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 7–11
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-|
B|-----------------------------9-10--------|
G|----------------------7-9-11-------------|
D|---------------7-9-10--------------------|
A|--------7-9-11---------------------------|
E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 9–13
e|----------------------------------------10-12-|
B|-------------------------------10-12-13-------|
G|-----------------------9-11-13----------------|
D|---------------9-10-12------------------------|
A|-------9-11-12--------------------------------|
E|-10-12----------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-|
B|----------------------------------12-13-15-------|
G|-------------------------11-13-14----------------|
D|-------------------12-14-------------------------|
A|-------11-12-14-15-------------------------------|
E|-12-14-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 14–18
e|-------------------------------------------14-16-17-|
B|-------------------------------------15-17----------|
G|----------------------------14-16-17----------------|
D|-------------------14-16-18-------------------------|
A|----------14-15-17----------------------------------|
E|-14-16-17-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 16–20
e|-------------------------------------------16-17-19-20-|
B|-------------------------------------17-19-------------|
G|----------------------------16-17-19-------------------|
D|-------------------16-18-19----------------------------|
A|-------------17-19-------------------------------------|
E|-16-17-19-20-------------------------------------------|

How to play B Dorian b2 on guitar

Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 7–11. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 B
♭2 C
♭3 D
4 E
5 F#
6 G#
♭7 A

Chords in B Dorian b2

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Dorian b2; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i Bm Bm7 Tonic
♭II+ Caug Cmaj7#5 Supertonic
♭III D D7 Mediant
IV E E7 Subdominant
v° F#dim F#m7b5 Dominant
vi° G#dim G#m7b5 Submediant
♭vii Am Am(maj7) Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the B Dorian b2 Scale?
The B Dorian b2 Scale has 7 notes: B, C, D, E, F#, G#, A.
What chords are in the B Dorian b2 Scale?
The chords of B Dorian b2 are Bm (i), Caug (♭II+), D (♭III), E (IV), F#dim (v°), G#dim (vi°), Am (♭vii).
What is the formula of the dorian b2 scale?
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play B Dorian b2 on the guitar?
The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Dorian b2 Scale in every key

More scales in B