E DorianScale

Formula

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

E Dorian on the chromatic circle

E 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 DI Ionian 1 EII Dorian 2 F♯III Phrygian ♭3 GIV Lydian 4 AV Mixolydian 5 BVI Aeolian 6 C♯VII Locrian E Dorian
The whole neck

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

Chords in E 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
iEm7E G B D
iiF♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
♭IIIGmaj7G B D F♯
IVA7A C♯ E G
vBm7B D F♯ A
vi°C♯m7♭5C♯ E G B
♭VIIDmaj7D F♯ A C♯
Context

Where E 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.

E 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

E Dorian scale questions

What notes are in the E Dorian scale?

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

What is the E 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 E Dorian scale on guitar?

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

What chords are in the E Dorian scale?

Em7 (i), F♯m7 (ii), Gmaj7 (♭III), A7 (IV), Bm7 (v), C♯m7♭5 (vi°), Dmaj7 (♭VII).

When is the E 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.