Guitar scale · Dorian mode
F Dorian Scale
Minor mode featuring a major 6th degree, producing a cool, funky, and jazzy minor sound.
Tap any note to hear it.
F 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|-----------------------------1-3-4-| B|-------------------------3-4-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-----------| D|-------------1-3-5-----------------| A|-------1-3-5-----------------------| E|-1-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-4-6-| B|-------------------------4-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-7-----------| D|-------------3-5-6-----------------| A|-------3-5-6-----------------------| E|-3-4-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-8-| B|-----------------------6-8-9-----| G|-----------------5-7-8-----------| D|-----------5-6-8-----------------| A|-----5-6-8-----------------------| E|-6-8-----------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------8-10-11-| B|---------------------------------9-11---------| G|-------------------------8-10-12--------------| D|-----------------8-10-12----------------------| A|---------8-10-11------------------------------| E|-8-10-11--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-13----------------| D|-------------------10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-11-13----------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-------------------------------------------|
How to play F Dorian on guitar
Find the root first: F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F 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 1–5. 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.
F Dorian uses exactly the same notes as Eb major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Eb Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F |
| 2 | G |
| ♭3 | Ab |
| 4 | Bb |
| 5 | C |
| 6 | D |
| ♭7 | Eb |
Chords in F Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F Dorian; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Fm | Fm7 | Tonic |
| ii | Gm | Gm7 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | Ab | Abmaj7 | Mediant |
| IV | Bb | Bb7 | Subdominant |
| v | Cm | Cm7 | Dominant |
| vi° | Ddim | Dm7b5 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise F 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 F Dorian Scale?
- The F Dorian Scale has 7 notes: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb.
- What chords are in the F Dorian Scale?
- The chords of F Dorian are Fm (i), Gm (ii), Ab (♭III), Bb (IV), Cm (v), Ddim (vi°), Eb (♭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 F Dorian on the guitar?
- The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 1–5, and four more positions connect it up the neck.