Guitar scale · Dorian mode
D Dorian Scale
Minor mode featuring a major 6th degree, producing a cool, funky, and jazzy minor sound.
Tap any note to hear it.
D 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|-------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------12-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-14----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-| B|----------------------------------15-17-18-------| G|-------------------------14-16-17----------------| D|----------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|-------14-15-17----------------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-19-20-| B|-------------------------------------18-20----------| G|----------------------------17-19-21----------------| D|-------------------17-19-21-------------------------| A|----------17-19-20----------------------------------| E|-17-19-20-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------19-20-22-| B|-------------------------------------20-22----------| G|----------------------------19-21-22----------------| D|-------------------19-21-22-------------------------| A|----------19-20-22----------------------------------| E|-19-20-22-------------------------------------------|
How to play D Dorian on guitar
Find the root first: D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every D 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 10–14. 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.
D Dorian uses exactly the same notes as C major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the C Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | D |
| 2 | E |
| ♭3 | F |
| 4 | G |
| 5 | A |
| 6 | B |
| ♭7 | C |
Chords in D Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in D Dorian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Dm7 | Tonic |
| ii | Em | Em7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | F | Fmaj7 | Mediant |
| IV | G | G7 | Subdominant |
| v | Am | Am7 | Dominant |
| vi° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | C | Cmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise D 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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One purchase
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Questions
- What notes are in the D Dorian Scale?
- The D Dorian Scale has 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
- What chords are in the D Dorian Scale?
- The chords of D Dorian are Dm (i), Em (ii), F (♭III), G (IV), Am (v), Bdim (vi°), C (♭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 D Dorian on the guitar?
- The root D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 10–14, and four more positions connect it up the neck.