Dorian scale · 7 notes
A♭ Dorian scale on guitar
The A♭ Dorian scale (A flat Dorian scale) has 7 notes: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F and G♭. A minor scale with a bright natural 6th: the sound of funk, jazz-rock and Santana. You may also see it written as G♯ Dorian.
Notes
- A♭
- B♭
- C♭
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G♭
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – H – W
Sound
Minor but hopeful, cool and funky
A♭ Dorian on the whole fretboard
Every A♭ Dorian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A♭, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A♭ at fret 4. 3rd position: frets 3–7.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A♭ Dorian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A♭, the A♭ Dorian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 6 flats (A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭). Compared with G♯ minor, it has F (6) instead of E.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | root | 0 |
| 2 | B♭ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | C♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | D♭ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | E♭ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | F | major 6th | 9 |
| ♭7 | G♭ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in A♭ Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to A♭ Dorian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in A♭ Dorian.
- iA♭mA♭ · C♭ · E♭A♭m7
- iiB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- ♭IIIC♭C♭ · E♭ · G♭C♭maj7
- IVD♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭7
- vE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
- vi°F°F · A♭ · C♭Fm7♭5
- ♭VIIG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
Progressions to try
- A♭m – D♭ i–IV · the classic Dorian vamp
- A♭m – B♭m i–ii
- A♭m – G♭ – D♭ i–♭VII–IV
How to use A♭ Dorian
Reach for it over minor 7th chords, one- or two-chord minor vamps (i–IV), funk, jazz, and Santana-style rock. Its sound is minor but hopeful, cool and funky.
Tip: Dorian is the natural minor with a raised 6th. Over a minor vamp, aim for that 6th: it is the note that makes Dorian sound like Dorian.
- A♭ Dorian contains exactly the notes of F♯ major, played from its second note, A♭. See F♯ major.
Where to find A♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 4 |
| B (2nd) | 9 |
| G (3rd) | 1 |
| D (4th) | 6 |
| A (5th) | 11 |
| Low E (6th) | 4 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A♭ Dorian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A♭ Dorian scale FAQ
What notes are in the A♭ Dorian scale?
The A♭ Dorian scale has 7 notes: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F and G♭. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. It contains 6 flats (A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭).
What chords are in A♭ Dorian?
Harmonising the A♭ Dorian scale in thirds gives A♭m (i), B♭m (ii), C♭ (♭III), D♭ (IV), E♭m (v), F° (vi°) and G♭ (♭VII).
Where do you play the A♭ Dorian scale on guitar?
The root, A♭, is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 3–7, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as A♭ Dorian?
A♭ Dorian contains exactly the notes of F♯ major, played from its second note, A♭.