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Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic

G Dorian b5 Scale

Mode 2 of Harmonic Major: Dorian with a lowered 5th.

Notes GABbCDbEF
Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7
Steps W H W H W+H H W
Mood Dark, Tense, Unusual
Heard in Modal Improvisation, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

G Dorian b5 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.

G Dorian b5 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 3–7
e|-----------------------------3-5-6-|
B|-------------------------5-6-------|
G|-------------------3-5-6-----------|
D|-------------3-5-7-----------------|
A|-------3-4-7-----------------------|
E|-3-5-6-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 5–9
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-9-|
B|-------------------------6-8---------|
G|-------------------5-6-9-------------|
D|-------------5-7-8-------------------|
A|---------7-8-------------------------|
E|-5-6-8-9-----------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 7–11
e|-----------------------------------8-9-|
B|---------------------------8-10-11-----|
G|----------------------9-10-------------|
D|------------7-8-10-11------------------|
A|-----7-8-10----------------------------|
E|-8-9-----------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 10–14
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-|
B|----------------------------------11-13-14-------|
G|-------------------------10-12-14----------------|
D|----------------10-11-14-------------------------|
A|-------10-12-13----------------------------------|
E|-12-13-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 12–16
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------13-14----------|
G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------|
D|----------------------14-15-------------------------|
A|----------12-13-15-16-------------------------------|
E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|

How to play G Dorian b5 on guitar

Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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 G
2 A
♭3 Bb
4 C
♭5 Db
6 E
♭7 F

Chords in G Dorian b5

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Dorian b5; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i° Gdim Gm7b5 Tonic
ii Am Am7 Supertonic
♭iii Bbm Bbm(maj7) Mediant
IV C C7 Subdominant
♭V+ Dbaug Dbmaj7#5 Dominant
vi° Edim Edim7 Submediant
♭VII F Fmaj7 Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the G Dorian b5 Scale?
The G Dorian b5 Scale has 7 notes: G, A, Bb, C, Db, E, F.
What chords are in the G Dorian b5 Scale?
The chords of G Dorian b5 are Gdim (i°), Am (ii), Bbm (♭iii), C (IV), Dbaug (♭V+), Edim (vi°), F (♭VII).
What is the formula of the dorian b5 scale?
1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W H W+H H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play G Dorian b5 on the guitar?
The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Dorian b5 Scale in every key

More scales in G