Dorian scale · 7 notes
B♭ Dorian scale on guitar
The B♭ Dorian scale (B flat Dorian scale) has 7 notes: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A♭. A minor scale with a bright natural 6th: the sound of funk, jazz-rock and Santana. You may also see it written as A♯ Dorian, but B♭ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- B♭
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G
- A♭
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – H – W
Sound
Minor but hopeful, cool and funky
B♭ Dorian on the whole fretboard
Every B♭ Dorian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, B♭, 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
B♭ at fret 6. 5th position: frets 5–9.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of B♭ Dorian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from B♭, the B♭ Dorian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 4 flats (B♭, D♭, E♭ and A♭). Compared with B♭ minor, it has G (6) instead of G♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | root | 0 |
| 2 | C | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | D♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | E♭ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | F | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | G | major 6th | 9 |
| ♭7 | A♭ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in B♭ Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to B♭ Dorian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in B♭ Dorian.
- iB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- iiCmC · E♭ · GCm7
- ♭IIID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
- IVE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭7
- vFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- vi°G°G · B♭ · D♭Gm7♭5
- ♭VIIA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭maj7
Progressions to try
- B♭m – E♭ i–IV · the classic Dorian vamp
- B♭m – Cm i–ii
- B♭m – A♭ – E♭ i–♭VII–IV
How to use B♭ 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.
- B♭ Dorian contains exactly the notes of A♭ major, played from its second note, B♭. See A♭ major.
Where to find B♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every B♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with B♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 6 |
| B (2nd) | 11 |
| G (3rd) | 3 |
| D (4th) | 8 |
| A (5th) | 1 |
| Low E (6th) | 6 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as B♭ Dorian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
B♭ Dorian scale FAQ
What notes are in the B♭ Dorian scale?
The B♭ Dorian scale has 7 notes: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A♭. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. It contains 4 flats (B♭, D♭, E♭ and A♭).
What chords are in B♭ Dorian?
Harmonising the B♭ Dorian scale in thirds gives B♭m (i), Cm (ii), D♭ (♭III), E♭ (IV), Fm (v), G° (vi°) and A♭ (♭VII).
Where do you play the B♭ Dorian scale on guitar?
The root, B♭, is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 5–9, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as B♭ Dorian?
B♭ Dorian contains exactly the notes of A♭ major, played from its second note, B♭.