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:
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
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
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♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A♯
- B
- C♯
chords in the key of C♯ Dorian
D♯ / E♭ Dorian
- D♯
- E♯
- F♯
- G♯
- A♯
- C♯
- D♯
- B♯
chords in the key of D♯ Dorian
F♯ / G♭ Dorian
- F♯
- G♯
- A
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
chords in the key of F♯ Dorian
G♯ / A♭ Dorian
- G♯
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E♯
- F♯
- G♯
chords in the key of G♯ Dorian
B♭ / A♯ Dorian
- 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.

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