B DorianScale

Formula

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

B Dorian on the chromatic circle

B 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 AI Ionian 1 BII Dorian 2 C♯III Phrygian ♭3 DIV Lydian 4 EV Mixolydian 5 F♯VI Aeolian 6 G♯VII Locrian B Dorian
The whole neck

B 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 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 1 2 ♭3 4 5
Harmony

Chords in B 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
iBm7B D F♯ A
iiC♯m7C♯ E G♯ B
♭IIIDmaj7D F♯ A C♯
IVE7E G♯ B D
vF♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
vi°G♯m7♭5G♯ B D F♯
♭VIIAmaj7A C♯ E G♯
Context

Where B 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.

B 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

B Dorian scale questions

What notes are in the B Dorian scale?

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

What is the B 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 B Dorian scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of B 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 A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape to the C shape.

What chords are in the B Dorian scale?

Bm7 (i), C♯m7 (ii), Dmaj7 (♭III), E7 (IV), F♯m7 (v), G♯m7♭5 (vi°), Amaj7 (♭VII).

When is the B 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.