A♭ DorianScale

Formula

W H W W W H W 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
The family

A♭ Dorian on the chromatic circle

A♭ Dorian is the 2nd mode of the Major family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W W H W W W H ♭7 G♭I Ionian 1 A♭II Dorian 2 B♭III Phrygian ♭3 C♭IV Lydian 4 D♭V Mixolydian 5 E♭VI Aeolian 6 FVII Locrian A♭ Dorian
The whole neck

A♭ Dorian across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Harmony

Chords in A♭ Dorian

Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.

DegreeChordNotes
iA♭m7A♭ C♭ E♭ G♭
iiB♭m7B♭ D♭ F A♭
♭IIIC♭maj7C♭ E♭ G♭ B♭
IVD♭7D♭ F A♭ C♭
vE♭m7E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭
vi°Fm7♭5F A♭ C♭ E♭
♭VIIG♭maj7G♭ B♭ D♭ F
Context

Where A♭ Dorian fits

Minor with a bright 6th: minor funk, soul, rock and jazz vamps. The usual choice over a m7 chord, such as the ii of a jazz ii–V–I.

A♭ Dorian is mode 2 of the major family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:

Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:

Dorian scale in every key

A♭ Dorian scale questions

What notes are in the A♭ Dorian scale?

A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭. As degrees from the root: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.

What is the A♭ Dorian scale formula?

1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W H W W W H W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the A♭ Dorian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of A♭ Dorian up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape to the A shape.

What chords are in the A♭ Dorian scale?

A♭m7 (i), B♭m7 (ii), C♭maj7 (♭III), D♭7 (IV), E♭m7 (v), Fm7♭5 (vi°), G♭maj7 (♭VII).

When is the A♭ Dorian scale used?

Minor with a bright 6th: minor funk, soul, rock and jazz vamps. The usual choice over a m7 chord, such as the ii of a jazz ii–V–I.