Dorian Mode/Scale: Interactive Piano & Guitar Reference with Chords

🎨 A visual piano and guitar reference to the Dorian mode (aka Dorian scale), which is the 2nd mode of the major scale. The Dorian mode is created from the major scale by flattening the 3rd and 7th scale degrees. The Dorian mode is minor-sounding and sounds smooth and jazzy.

This reference includes the notes and chords on the piano keyboard for each Dorian scale.

Dorian mode formula:
1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7

Dorian Mode: Reference Table

First, a reference table for the Dorian mode/scale for all the keys. The keys are in order of 5ths, as with the circle of fifths. This illustrates the close relationship between keys that are a 5th distance apart.

i	ii	III	IV	v	vi°	VII	i
C	D	E♭	F	G	A	B♭	C
G	A	B♭	C	D	E	F	G
D	E	F	G	A	B	C	D
A	B	C	D	E	F♯	G	A
E	F♯	G	A	B	C♯	D	E
B	C♯	D	E	F♯	G♯	A	B
F♯	G♯	A	B	C♯	D♯	E	F♯
D♭	E♭	F♭	G♭	A♭	B♭	C♭	D♭
A♭	B♭	C♭	D♭	E♭	F	G♭	A♭
E♭	F	G♭	A♭	B♭	C	D♭	E♭
B♭	C	D♭	E♭	F	G	A♭	B♭
F	G	A♭	B♭	C	D	E♭	F

Dorian Mode on Guitar

Here you can visualize the different keys of the Dorian mode on the guitar fretboard. You can highlight the notes in each of the dorian scales using the CAGED or the Three Notes Per String (TNPS) systems.

Select a Key:

Scale:

Tuning:

show:

highlight:

box:

Dorian Mode on Piano

And now for each of the keys/scales in more detail. Tip: click the lock icon to trigger the chords of that key using buttons 1 through 7 on your keyboard.

C Dorian

notes: C D E_♭ F G A B_♭

relative key: B_♭ major

C
D
E_♭
F
G
A
B_♭
C

chords in the key of C Dorian

D Dorian

notes: D E F G A B C

relative key: C major

chords in the key of D Dorian

E Dorian

notes: E F^♯ G A B C^♯ D

relative key: D major

E
F^♯
G
A
B
C^♯
D
E

chords in the key of E Dorian

F Dorian

notes: F G A_♭ B_♭ C D E_♭

relative key: D^♯ major

F
G
A_♭
B_♭
C
D
E_♭
F

chords in the key of F Dorian

G Dorian

notes: G A B_♭ C D E F

relative key: F major

G
A
B_♭
C
D
E
F
G

chords in the key of G Dorian

A Dorian

notes: A B C D E F^♯ G

relative key: G major

A
B
C
D
E
F^♯
G
A

chords in the key of A Dorian

B Dorian

notes: B C^♯ D E F^♯ G^♯ A

relative key: A major

B
C^♯
D
E
F^♯
G^♯
A
B

chords in the key of B Dorian

C♯ / D♭ Dorian

C^♯ Dorian: C^♯ D^♯ E F^♯ G^♯ A^♯ B

D_♭ Dorian: D_♭ E_♭ F_♭ G_♭ A_♭ B_♭ C_♭

relative key: B major

C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
B
C^♯

chords in the key of C^♯ Dorian

D♯ / E♭ Dorian

D^♯ Dorian: D^♯ E^♯ F^♯ G^♯ A^♯ B^♯ C^♯

E_♭ Dorian: E_♭ F G_♭ A_♭ B_♭ C D_♭

relative key: C^♯ major

D^♯
E^♯
F^♯
G^♯
A^♯
C^♯
D^♯
B^♯

chords in the key of D^♯ Dorian

F♯ / G♭ Dorian

F^♯ Dorian: F^♯ G^♯ A B C^♯ D^♯ E

G_♭ Dorian: G_♭ A_♭ B_♭_♭ C_♭ D_♭ E_♭ F_♭

relative key: E major

F^♯
G^♯
A
B
C^♯
D^♯
E
F^♯

chords in the key of F^♯ Dorian

G♯ / A♭ Dorian

G^♯ Dorian: G^♯ A^♯ B C^♯ D^♯ E^♯ F^♯

A_♭ Dorian: A_♭ B_♭ C_♭ D_♭ E_♭ F G_♭

relative key: F^♯ major

G^♯
A^♯
B
C^♯
D^♯
E^♯
F^♯
G^♯

chords in the key of G^♯ Dorian

B♭ / A♯ Dorian

B_♭ Dorian: B_♭ C D_♭ E_♭ F G A_♭

A^♯ Dorian: A^♯ B^♯ C^♯ D^♯ E^♯ F^♯^♯ G^♯

relative key: G^♯ major

B_♭
C
D_♭
E_♭
F
G
A_♭
B_♭

chords in the key of B_♭ Dorian

Piano Samples

The piano samples used for this dorian scale reference are from “Salamander Grand Piano V3” by Alexander Holm, licensed under CC BY 3.0.

C D E F G A B C^♯ D^♯ F^♯ G^♯ B_♭