G dorian scale

7 notes · the natural 6th · the 2nd mode of the major scale

Natural minor with the 6th raised. One note, and it changes the whole colour: the IV chord turns major, so the mode sounds minor without sounding sad.

Heard in: Modal jazz, funk vamps, "Scarborough Fair", most of Santana.

Key
CC♯DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭B
majornatural minordorianmixolydianlydianphrygianlocrianharmonic minormelodic minorlydian dominantlydian augmentedalteredmajor pentatonicminor pentatonicblueswhole tonediminishedhalf-whole diminished

The notes of G dorian

The whole scale. Choose a chord below and this row will show which of these notes it uses.

G
1
A
2
Bb
♭3
C
4
D
5
E
6
F
♭7
357912156, E string fret 06♭7, E string fret 1♭71, E string fret 312, E string fret 52♭3, E string fret 6♭34, E string fret 845, E string fret 1056, E string fret 126♭7, E string fret 13♭71, E string fret 1512, A string fret 02♭3, A string fret 1♭34, A string fret 345, A string fret 556, A string fret 76♭7, A string fret 8♭71, A string fret 1012, A string fret 122♭3, A string fret 13♭34, A string fret 1545, D string fret 056, D string fret 26♭7, D string fret 3♭71, D string fret 512, D string fret 72♭3, D string fret 8♭34, D string fret 1045, D string fret 1256, D string fret 146♭7, D string fret 15♭71, G string fret 012, G string fret 22♭3, G string fret 3♭34, G string fret 545, G string fret 756, G string fret 96♭7, G string fret 10♭71, G string fret 1212, G string fret 142♭3, G string fret 15♭34, B string fret 145, B string fret 356, B string fret 56♭7, B string fret 6♭71, B string fret 812, B string fret 102♭3, B string fret 11♭34, B string fret 1345, B string fret 1556, e string fret 06♭7, e string fret 1♭71, e string fret 312, e string fret 52♭3, e string fret 6♭34, e string fret 845, e string fret 1056, e string fret 126♭7, e string fret 13♭71, e string fret 151
15 frets in standard tuning, high E at the top. Each dot is labelled with its degree rather than its note, because that is the part that moves with you when you play the shape somewhere else. The green dot is the root of whatever is being shown — the scale, or the chord chosen out of it.

The chords in G dorian

Take every other note of the scale and you have a chord. Do it from each degree in turn and you have the key. Each row below is that stack, and the letters in it say what each scale note becomes in that chord — so the Bb of the scale is the 3rd of one chord, the 5th of another and the root of a third. Choose a row to see it on the neck.

Each chord of G dorian, and which notes of the scale it takes
DegreeChord
G
1
A
2
Bb
♭3
C
4
D
5
E
6
F
♭7
iR·3·5·7
ii7R·3·5·
♭III·7R·3·5
IV5·7R·3·
v·5·7R·3
vi°3·5·7R·
♭VII·3·5·7R

Every note of the scale appears in four of these chords, and every chord shares three of its four notes with the chord a third away from it. That overlap is why one can be substituted for another.

What to play G dorian over

The chords on G whose every note this scale contains, biggest first. The largest of them is the one that pins the scale down: over Gm11 there is nothing in G dorian that can sound wrong.

Gm11Gm69Gm9G11Gsus2sus4Gm6Gm7Gmadd9G7sus4GmGsus2Gsus4

The other modes of the same notes

Same notes, different home. Which one you are in is decided by the chord underneath, not by the notes.

G majorG natural minorG mixolydianG lydianG phrygianG locrian

Every scale on every root is on the scale index, and every chord on the chord index. Where the shapes and the theory come from is on the about page.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
350
150

Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode