Guitar scale · Dorian mode
C Dorian Scale
Minor mode featuring a major 6th degree, producing a cool, funky, and jazzy minor sound.
Tap any note to hear it.
C Dorian Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------------------------------8-10-11-| B|---------------------------------10-11---------| G|-------------------------8-10-12---------------| D|-----------------8-10-12-----------------------| A|---------8-10-12-------------------------------| E|-8-10-11---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-12-13----------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-| B|----------------------------------13-15-16-------| G|-------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|----------------12-13-15-------------------------| A|-------12-13-15----------------------------------| E|-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------16-18----------| G|----------------------------15-17-19----------------| D|-------------------15-17-19-------------------------| A|----------15-17-18----------------------------------| E|-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-18-20-| B|-------------------------------------18-20----------| G|----------------------------17-19-20----------------| D|-------------------17-19-20-------------------------| A|----------17-18-20----------------------------------| E|-17-18-20-------------------------------------------|
How to play C Dorian on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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.
C Dorian uses exactly the same notes as Bb major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Bb Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C |
| 2 | D |
| ♭3 | Eb |
| 4 | F |
| 5 | G |
| 6 | A |
| ♭7 | Bb |
Chords in C Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in C Dorian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Cm7 | Tonic |
| ii | Dm | Dm7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Mediant |
| IV | F | F7 | Subdominant |
| v | Gm | Gm7 | Dominant |
| vi° | Adim | Am7b5 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | Bb | Bbmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C Dorian anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Dorian Scale?
- The C Dorian Scale has 7 notes: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb.
- What chords are in the C Dorian Scale?
- The chords of C Dorian are Cm (i), Dm (ii), Eb (♭III), F (IV), Gm (v), Adim (vi°), Bb (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the dorian scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play C Dorian on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.