B♭ Dorian scale on guitar
The B♭ Dorian scale has 7 notes: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A♭. A minor scale with a raised 6th. That one note makes it brighter and jazzier than natural minor; it is common in funk, jazz, rock jams and folk.
Notes in B♭ Dorian
- Formula
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
- Step pattern
- W – H – W – W – W – H – W
- Notes
- 7
Tap a note to hear it.
B♭ Dorian across the neck
Every B♭ Dorian note on the first 12 frets in standard tuning. Filled dots are the root, B♭. A good place to start: B♭ on the low E string is at fret 6, so play the notes between frets 5 and 9 first, then move up the neck.
Intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval from B♭ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | Root |
| 2 | C | Major 2nd |
| ♭3 | D♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | E♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | F | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | G | Major 6th |
| ♭7 | A♭ | Minor 7th |
Chords in B♭ Dorian
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these triads. Any of them will sound “at home” with the B♭ Dorian scale.
H = half step (1 fret), W = whole step (2 frets). Roman numerals: uppercase is major, lowercase is minor, ° is diminished, + is augmented.
Related scales
Questions
What notes are in the B♭ Dorian scale?
B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.
Where do I start the B♭ Dorian scale on guitar?
B♭ on the low E string is at fret 6, so play the notes between frets 5 and 9 first. The fretboard map on this page shows every B♭ Dorian note on the first 12 frets.
What scales are related to B♭ Dorian?
It has the same notes as A♭ major, starting from that scale’s 2nd note.
More scales
Dorian in every key
Other scales from B♭