The E Dorian Mode, Open Position and Beyond
The E Dorian scale is E, F#, G, A, B, C# and D, which are the notes of D major with E as home. It differs from E minor by a single note, C# in place of C.
That one note is the sound of Dorian. The open low E string is the root, and the A string root is at the 7th fret. Em and A chords fit this scale well, a good pairing to try. For a wider view, playing scales over chords goes through the options.
Play the E dorian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the E dorian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | Root | 0 |
| F# | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| G | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| A | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| B | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| C# | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
| D | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
E 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.
E Dorian 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 E 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
