Dorian scale · 7 notes
E♭ Dorian scale on guitar
The E♭ Dorian scale (E flat Dorian scale) has 7 notes: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C and D♭. A minor scale with a bright natural 6th: the sound of funk, jazz-rock and Santana. You may also see it written as D♯ Dorian, but E♭ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- E♭
- F
- G♭
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D♭
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – W – H – W
Sound
Minor but hopeful, cool and funky
E♭ Dorian on the whole fretboard
Every E♭ Dorian note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, E♭, 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
E♭ at fret 11. 10th position: frets 10–14.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of E♭ Dorian as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from E♭, the E♭ Dorian scale is built from these intervals. It contains 5 flats (E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭). Compared with E♭ minor, it has C (6) instead of C♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | root | 0 |
| 2 | F | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | G♭ | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | A♭ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | B♭ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | C | major 6th | 9 |
| ♭7 | D♭ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in E♭ Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to E♭ Dorian: any of them will sound at home under a melody in E♭ Dorian.
- iE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭E♭m7
- iiFmF · A♭ · CFm7
- ♭IIIG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭G♭maj7
- IVA♭A♭ · C · E♭A♭7
- vB♭mB♭ · D♭ · FB♭m7
- vi°C°C · E♭ · G♭Cm7♭5
- ♭VIID♭D♭ · F · A♭D♭maj7
Progressions to try
- E♭m – A♭ i–IV · the classic Dorian vamp
- E♭m – Fm i–ii
- E♭m – D♭ – A♭ i–♭VII–IV
How to use E♭ 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.
- E♭ Dorian contains exactly the notes of D♭ major, played from its second note, E♭. See D♭ major.
Where to find E♭ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every E♭ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with E♭ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 11 |
| B (2nd) | 4 |
| G (3rd) | 8 |
| D (4th) | 1 |
| A (5th) | 6 |
| Low E (6th) | 11 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as E♭ Dorian. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
E♭ Dorian scale FAQ
What notes are in the E♭ Dorian scale?
The E♭ Dorian scale has 7 notes: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C and D♭. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. It contains 5 flats (E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭).
What chords are in E♭ Dorian?
Harmonising the E♭ Dorian scale in thirds gives E♭m (i), Fm (ii), G♭ (♭III), A♭ (IV), B♭m (v), C° (vi°) and D♭ (♭VII).
Where do you play the E♭ Dorian scale on guitar?
The root, E♭, is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 10–14, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as E♭ Dorian?
E♭ Dorian contains exactly the notes of D♭ major, played from its second note, E♭.