B♭ Dorian mode on mandolin
The B♭ Dorian mode has seven notes: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A♭ (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7). A minor scale with a major 6th, which keeps it from sounding sad. The sound of minor funk, soul and jazz: play it over a m7 chord or a two-chord vamp like Am7 to D.
| Note | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | whole | half | whole | whole | whole | half | whole |
3 positions to learn it in
Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the B♭ Dorian mode
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; B♭ (B♭m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (B♭) | B♭mhome | B♭m7home |
| 2 (C) | Cmcolour | Cm7colour |
| ♭3 (D♭) | D♭daylight | D♭maj7daylight |
| 4 (E♭) | E♭the door | E♭7the door |
| 5 (F) | Fmsoft fall | Fm7soft fall |
| 6 (G) | Gdimthe edge | Gm7♭5the edge |
| ♭7 (A♭) | A♭heroic | A♭maj7heroic |
Scales with the same notes
It has the same notes as the A♭ major scale, started from its second note, B♭.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭ Dorian mode?
B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A♭. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are W H W W W H W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the B♭ Dorian mode?
The chords made only of its notes: B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm, Gdim and A♭, and as seventh chords B♭m7, Cm7, D♭maj7, E♭7, Fm7, Gm7♭5 and A♭maj7. B♭ is home: B♭m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The Dorian mode in every key
Other scales in B♭
B♭ majorB♭ minorB♭ minor pentatonicB♭ major pentatonicB♭ bluesB♭ MixolydianB♭ LydianB♭ PhrygianB♭ harmonic minorB♭ melodic minorB♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: mandolin scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.