Dorian mode: notes, sound and examples

Dorian is the second mode of the major scale, and one of the most useful modes for everyday playing. It sounds minor, because its third is lowered, but its sixth degree is raised, which makes it less sad and more open than natural minor. Think of it as a minor scale with a lift.

The Dorian formula

In steps, Dorian is whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half, whole: W-H-W-W-W-H-W. As scale degrees it is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Compared with the natural minor scale, one note changes: the sixth is raised a half step. Compared with the major scale on the same note, two notes are lowered: the third and the seventh.

The sixth degree is the characteristic note. If it is natural (a major sixth above the tonic), the scale is Dorian. If it is lowered, the scale is Aeolian, the natural minor scale.

How to build Dorian in any key

1. Write the natural minor scale of the tonic.
2. Raise the sixth note by a half step.
3. Or: write the major scale a whole step below the tonic, and start on its second note.

The second route is the relative method. D Dorian uses the notes of C major, because D is the second note of C major. C Dorian uses the notes of B♭ major. A Dorian uses the notes of G major. This also tells you the key signature to use.

How it sounds

Dorian has a minor feeling that is not gloomy. The raised sixth lifts the sound and gives it a floating, slightly hopeful quality. It is often described as cool, soulful or earthy. The most distinctive moment is the move from the minor chord on the tonic to the major chord built on the fourth degree, which is a typical Dorian sound.

Where you hear Dorian

• Traditional folk songs from Ireland, Scotland and England, including many that are played in sessions.
• Rock and funk grooves that sit on one minor chord.
• Jazz, where it is the standard choice for minor seventh chords.
• Film and game music for a serious but not tragic mood.

Some well-known songs have melodies or chord patterns that are Dorian, such as Miles Davis's jazz piece So What, built on D Dorian, and Scarborough Fair, the traditional English ballad.

Using Dorian over chords

Dorian works over a minor seventh chord, such as D minor 7 (D F A C). Every note of the D Dorian scale fits that chord. If you play a minor chord that stays alone for a long time, Dorian is the first scale to try. Over a chord progression in a minor key, check whether the progression includes the major chord on the fourth degree: if it does, Dorian is the likely fit.

Dorian compared with other modes

Dorian in different keys

The white-key version, D Dorian, is the easiest to find, but the mode works on any note. A good way to practice is to pick a minor chord, say A minor 7, and play A Dorian over it, then switch to the major chord a fourth above (D major) and listen to the lift of the raised sixth, which is the chord's third.

You can also compare Dorian and Aeolian in the same key. Play A Dorian and A Aeolian one after the other. The only difference is one note, F♯ against F, and that is enough to change the mood from cool to sad.

One more thing to try

Make up a two-chord loop that moves from a minor chord on D to a major chord on G, and improvise a short tune over it with the notes of D Dorian. Then change the G chord to G minor and hear how the bright sixth disappears. The difference shows you exactly what the raised sixth adds to the sound.

Dorian lies between natural minor (Aeolian) and Mixolydian in brightness: one note brighter than Aeolian, and one note darker than Mixolydian. See all the modes for the full ladder from bright to dark.

Dorian scale in every key

Check yourself

Related pages

• Music modes: the seven modes explained
• Aeolian mode: notes, sound and examples
• Mixolydian mode: notes, sound and examples
• Minor scales: natural, harmonic and melodic
• Major scales: how they work in all 12 keys
• Phrygian mode: notes, sound and examples