C Dorian ♭5Scale
Formula
C Dorian ♭5 on the chromatic circle
C Dorian ♭5 is the 2nd mode of the Harmonic major family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.
C Dorian ♭5 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.
Chords in C Dorian ♭5
Stack every other note of the scale from each degree and you get its chords. Open any of them in the chord library.
Where C Dorian ♭5 fits
Over m7♭5 chords: a rare colour in jazz.
C Dorian ♭5 is mode 2 of the harmonic major family. The same notes played from each of its other degrees give the family's other modes:
- C Dorian ♭5
- D Phrygian ♭4
- E♭ Lydian ♭3
- F Mixolydian ♭2
- G♭ Lydian augmented ♯2
- A Locrian 𝄫7
- B♭ Harmonic major
Move one note by a half step and you get a different scale:
Dorian ♭5 scale in every key
C Dorian ♭5 scale questions
What notes are in the C Dorian ♭5 scale?
C D E♭ F G♭ A B♭. As degrees from the root: 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7.
What is the C Dorian ♭5 scale formula?
1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W H W H 1½ 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 C Dorian ♭5 scale on guitar?
This page draws every note of C Dorian ♭5 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 C shape to the A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape.
What chords are in the C Dorian ♭5 scale?
Cm7♭5 (i°), Dm7 (ii), E♭m(maj7) (♭iii), F7 (IV), G♭maj7♯5 (♭V+), A°7 (vi°), B♭maj7 (♭VII).
When is the C Dorian ♭5 scale used?
Over m7♭5 chords: a rare colour in jazz.