F Dorian #4, Low on the Neck
F, G, Ab, B, C, D and Eb make up the F Dorian #4 scale. The B natural is the raised fourth, sitting a tritone above the F, and the Ab gives the minor third.
Place the root on the 1st fret of the low E string and the first box lies right beside the nut. The notes come from C harmonic minor. When it sounds familiar, move the shape up four frets for A Dorian #4, and use practising scales in context to apply it.
Play the F dorian #4 scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the F dorian #4 scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 1 | Root | 0 |
| G | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| Ab | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| B | #4 | Tritone | 6 |
| C | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| D | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| Eb | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
F dorian #4 scale notes:
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.
F Dorian #4 Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (low E)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
3 notes per string — position 2
3 notes per string — position 3
3 notes per string — position 4
3 notes per string — position 5
Chords in the F dorian #4 scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Scales with the same notes as F Dorian #4
These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.
| Scale | Starts on degree | Learn the scale |
|---|---|---|
| G Phrygian Dominant | 2 | Phrygian Dominant |
| Ab Lydian #2 | b3 | Lydian #2 Scale |
| B Super Locrian bb7 | #4 | Ultra Locrian |
| C Harmonic Minor | 5 | Harmonic Minor |
| D Locrian #6 | 6 | Locrian natural 6 |
| Eb Ionian #5 | b7 | Ionian Augmented |
Other scales on F
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- F Gipsy Hungarian: shares 5 notes
- F Dorian: 4 instead of #4
- F Lydian Dominant: 3 instead of b3
The dorian #4 scale in other keys
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
