A Dorian mode
A Dorian mode is A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G, with F♯. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
A Dorian mode, note by note
The step pattern is W H W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between B–C and F♯–G.
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | |
| 2 | B | major second | |
| ♭3 | C | minor third | |
| 4 | D | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | E | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | F♯ | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | G | minor seventh |
The sound of A Dorian mode
Dorian is a minor mode with a raised 6th. That one bright note (F♯) takes the sadness out of minor and gives the funky, soulful sound of a lot of rock, funk and modal jazz.
Play Am and D back and forth and improvise with these notes; that major D is what separates Dorian from plain minor.
Compared with A natural minor scale, A Dorian mode has F♯ where the other has F; the other six notes are shared. Hear A natural minor scale and compare.
A Dorian mode uses the same seven notes as G major, starting from A instead of G. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Dorian is playing it over a A bass or chord.
Where your hands go
F♯ is on black key; the rest are white.
17 notes fit in the box between frets 3 and 9, with A at the 5th fret of the low E string.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit A Dorian mode; the ones that differ from the G major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C Lydian (starting on the 3rd note, C), D Mixolydian (starting on the 4th note, D), E natural minor (starting on the 5th note, E), F♯ Locrian (starting on the 6th note, F♯), G major (starting on the 7th note, G) and B Phrygian (starting on the 2nd note, B). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Finding A Dorian on the neck
Find A first: fret 5 of the 6th string, fret 0 and 12 of the 5th (0 means open). Most guitarists learn it in five overlapping positions; on the low E string they begin around frets 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12. Over a minor chord, play natural minor first, then raise the 6th to hear Dorian lift the sound.
On the piano, A Dorian mode uses 1 black key (F♯) and 6 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's A–C, B–D, C–E, D–F♯, E–G, F♯–A, G–B.
Practice patterns for A Dorian mode
Running a scale straight up and down only teaches the order. These patterns use the same 7 notes and train your ear and fingers to jump around inside A Dorian mode.
- Three-note runs: A B C · B C D · C D E · D E F♯ · E F♯ G · F♯ G A.
- Lean on F♯: A F♯ A F♯ A: the natural 6th lifts it above natural minor.
Scales to compare with A Dorian
Dorian mode in every key
A Dorian mode: questions
What are the notes of the A Dorian mode?
A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G, then A again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the A Dorian mode?
One: F♯.
What chords are in the A Dorian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Am (i), Bm (ii), C (III), D (IV), Em (v), F♯dim (vi°) and G (VII).
What's the difference between A Dorian mode and A natural minor scale?
F♯ in A Dorian; F in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as A Dorian mode?
G major. A Dorian is G major played from its 2nd note, A.
Generated from the step pattern 2-1-2-2-2-1-2 and checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.