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Guitar scale · Phrygian natural 6

E 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 EFGABC#D
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

E 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.

E 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 0–4
e|-----------------------------0-1-3-|
B|-------------------------2-3-------|
G|-------------------0-2-4-----------|
D|-------------0-2-3-----------------|
A|-------0-2-4-----------------------|
E|-0-1-3-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 2–6
e|-----------------------------3-5-|
B|-----------------------3-5-6-----|
G|-----------------2-4-6-----------|
D|-----------2-3-5-----------------|
A|-----2-4-5-----------------------|
E|-3-5-----------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 4–8
e|-----------------------------5-7-|
B|-----------------------5-6-8-----|
G|-----------------4-6-7-----------|
D|-------------5-7-----------------|
A|-----4-5-7-8---------------------|
E|-5-7-----------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 7–11
e|----------------------------------7-9-10-|
B|-----------------------------8-10--------|
G|----------------------7-9-10-------------|
D|---------------7-9-11--------------------|
A|--------7-8-10---------------------------|
E|-7-9-10----------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 9–13
e|----------------------------------------9-10-12-13-|
B|----------------------------------10-12------------|
G|--------------------------9-10-12------------------|
D|------------------9-11-12--------------------------|
A|------------10-12----------------------------------|
E|-9-10-12-13----------------------------------------|

How to play E Dorian b2 on guitar

Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 E
♭2 F
♭3 G
4 A
5 B
6 C#
♭7 D

Chords in E Dorian b2

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

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i Em Em7 Tonic
♭II+ Faug Fmaj7#5 Supertonic
♭III G G7 Mediant
IV A A7 Subdominant
v° Bdim Bm7b5 Dominant
vi° C#dim C#m7b5 Submediant
♭vii Dm Dm(maj7) Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the E Dorian b2 Scale?
The E Dorian b2 Scale has 7 notes: E, F, G, A, B, C#, D.
What chords are in the E Dorian b2 Scale?
The chords of E Dorian b2 are Em (i), Faug (♭II+), G (♭III), A (IV), Bdim (v°), C#dim (vi°), Dm (♭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 E Dorian b2 on the guitar?
The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Dorian b2 Scale in every key

More scales in E