Guitar scale · Modes

E Dorian scale on guitar

Every position of the E Dorian scale on the guitar neck, with tabs and fingering.

Minor with a brighter raised 6th — funk, jazz and Santana.

Mode 2 of the major scale: the same notes as D major, starting from its 2nd note.

Notes
EF♯GABC♯D
Formula
12♭3456♭7
Steps
WHWWWHW

Guitar

Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 7 positions using 3 notes per string

EADGBe123456789101112131415R2♭3456♭7R2♭3456♭7R2♭345♭7R2♭3456♭7R♭3456♭7R2♭3456♭7R2♭3456♭7R2♭3456♭7R2♭3

Position 1 tab · frets 0–5, ascending

e|-------------------------------2-3-5-|
B|-------------------------2-3-5-------|
G|-------------------0-2-4-------------|
D|-------------0-2-4-------------------|
A|-------0-2-4-------------------------|
E|-0-2-3-------------------------------|

Play from the lowest note to the highest, then back down. Use one finger per fret: your index finger covers fret 1, and shift your hand slightly for the wider stretches. R marks the root — the home note to start and end on.

Chords in the E Dorian scale

Stack every other note of the scale to build a chord on each degree.

i Em Em7 E G B
ii F♯m F♯m7 F♯ A C♯
♭III G Gmaj7 G B D
IV A A7 A C♯ E
v Bm Bm7 B D F♯
vi° C♯dim C♯m7♭5 C♯ E G
♭VII D Dmaj7 D F♯ A

Sounds great over

E Dorian scale on guitar
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