Modes · Dorian
The Dorian mode
Minor, but brighter and hopeful: cool, soulful, a little folk. Dorian is the natural minor with a raised 6th. That one note (B in D Dorian, where D minor has B♭) lifts the gloom: the IV chord turns major. Hear it over its own chords, in any key.
Jam: start the loop, then play the computer keys A S D F G H J K L: each one is the next note of the scale, so nothing you play is wrong. Or click the lit keys.Jam: start the loop and tap the lit keys. They’re all in the scale, so nothing you play is wrong.
The notes: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
D Dorian is D E F G A B C: D to D on the white keys, the notes of C major. Its colour comes from the B, lit in the tool.
The minor 7th chord on the root is Dorian's home chord: Dm7 in D Dorian.
Where you hear it
The folk song Scarborough Fair and the sea shanty Drunken Sailor are in Dorian. In jazz, Miles Davis's So What is built on D Dorian; in rock and Latin music, the two-chord Dorian vamp (i – IV, here Dm – G) is everywhere, as in Oye Como Va.
Its neighbours
From brightest to darkest, the modes go Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian. Dorian sits between Mixolydian and Aeolian. Compare them all from the same note on the modes page.
Dorian in every key
| Scale | Notes | Same notes as |
|---|---|---|
| C Dorian | C – D – E♭ – F – G – A – B♭ | B♭ major |
| C♯ Dorian | C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B | B major |
| D Dorian | D – E – F – G – A – B – C | C major |
| E♭ Dorian | E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ | D♭ major |
| E Dorian | E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D | D major |
| F Dorian | F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭ | E♭ major |
| F♯ Dorian | F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E | E major |
| G Dorian | G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F | F major |
| G♯ Dorian | G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯ | F♯ major |
| A Dorian | A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G | G major |
| B♭ Dorian | B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A♭ | A♭ major |
| B Dorian | B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A | A major |
Exploring modes on a real piano? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a rhythm that drifts. Then it shows you how it should go.
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Questions people ask
What are the notes of D Dorian?
D, E, F, G, A, B, C: the white keys from D to D, the notes of C major.
What is the formula for the Dorian mode?
1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, ♭7. Dorian is the natural minor with a raised 6th.
What does the Dorian mode sound like?
Minor, but brighter and hopeful: cool, soulful, a little folk. The minor 7th chord on the root is Dorian's home chord: Dm7 in D Dorian.
How do I find Dorian in any key?
Start the major scale on its 2nd note. Or play the natural minor scale from your root and raise the 6th. The table on this page has all twelve.