E Dorian #4: The Open Position Shape

E, F#, G, A#, B, C# and D make up the E Dorian #4 scale, also known as Romanian minor. Take E Dorian and raise the A to A#, and you get the signature sharp fourth that gives the scale its Eastern European colour.

The open low E, D, G and B strings all belong to the scale, so the first shape needs only a few fretted notes. The root returns at the 12th fret. B harmonic minor holds the same notes. Before moving on, see which scale fits which chord to match it with an E minor sound.

Play the E dorian #4 scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the E dorian #4 scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
E1Root0
F#2Major 2nd2
Gb3Minor 3rd3
A##4Tritone6
B5Perfect 5th7
C#6Major 6th9
Db7Minor 7th10

Structure

E dorian #4 scale notes:

E F# G A# B C# D

How the dorian #4 scale is built:

The dorian #4 scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W+H-H-W-H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is mode 4 of the Harmonic Minor Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.

It is also known as Ukrainian Dorian and Romanian Minor.

E Dorian #4 Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (low E)

On one string (low E)

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 2

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 3

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 4

E Dorian #4 Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 5

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the E dorian #4 scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

DegreeTriadSeventh chord
1 Em Em7
2 F# F#7
b3 G Gmaj7
#4 A#dim A#dim7
5 Bm Bm(maj7)
6 C#dim C#m7(b5)
b7 Daug Dmaj7(b13)

Scales with the same notes as E Dorian #4

These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.

ScaleStarts on degreeLearn the scale
F# Phrygian Dominant 2 Phrygian Dominant
G Lydian #2 b3 Lydian #2 Scale
Bb Super Locrian bb7 #4 Ultra Locrian
B Harmonic Minor 5 Harmonic Minor
C# Locrian #6 6 Locrian natural 6
D Ionian #5 b7 Ionian Augmented

Other scales on E

Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.

The dorian #4 scale in other keys

C Dorian #4 C# Dorian #4 D Dorian #4 Eb Dorian #4 E Dorian #4 F Dorian #4 F# Dorian #4 G Dorian #4 Ab Dorian #4 A Dorian #4 Bb Dorian #4 B Dorian #4

All about the dorian #4 scale →

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Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher