Db Dorian Mode for Guitar
Db, Eb, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb and Cb make up the Db Dorian scale. Because it is drawn from Cb major, it needs Fb and Cb, and few charts are written that way. The sound is the same as C# Dorian, and the root is on the 9th fret of the low E string.
Play the Db dorian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Db dorian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Db | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Eb | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| Fb | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| Gb | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Ab | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Bb | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| Cb | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
Db dorian scale notes:
How the dorian scale is built:
The dorian scale is built from the degrees 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7, which gives the step pattern W-H-W-W-W-H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10. That makes it a 7-note scale.
It is mode 2 of the Major Scale, so both scales share the same notes from a different starting point.
Db Dorian Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (B)
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 Db dorian scale
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.
Related modes
These scales share the same notes as the dorian scale, starting from a different degree.
The dorian scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
