F♯ Dorian mode (G♭ Dorian)
F♯ Dorian mode is F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E, with F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
F♯ 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 G♯–A and D♯–E.
| Degree | Note | Interval from F♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | root | |
| 2 | G♯ | major second | |
| ♭3 | A | minor third | |
| 4 | B | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | C♯ | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | D♯ | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | E | minor seventh |
What F♯ Dorian sounds like
Dorian is a minor mode with a raised 6th. That one bright note (D♯) takes the sadness out of minor and gives the funky, soulful sound of a lot of rock, funk and modal jazz.
Play F♯m and B back and forth and improvise with these notes; that major B is what separates Dorian from plain minor.
Compared with F♯ natural minor scale, F♯ Dorian mode has D♯ where the other has D; the other six notes are shared. Hear F♯ natural minor scale and compare.
F♯ Dorian mode uses the same seven notes as E major, starting from F♯ instead of E. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Dorian is playing it over a F♯ bass or chord.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: four black (F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯), three white.
On guitar the root sits at the 2nd fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 0–6 and holds 17 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
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 F♯ Dorian mode; the ones that differ from the E major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
F♯ Dorian mode shares all its notes with C♯ natural minor (starting on the 5th note, C♯), D♯ Locrian (starting on the 6th note, D♯), E major (starting on the 7th note, E), G♯ Phrygian (starting on the 2nd note, G♯), A Lydian (starting on the 3rd note, A) and B Mixolydian (starting on the 4th note, B). Which one you hear depends on which note the music treats as home.
Moving it around the guitar
The root, F♯, sits at frets 2 and 14 on the low E string and 9 on the A string. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 2, 4, 7, 9 and 11) and you'll have it everywhere. Over a minor chord, play natural minor first, then raise the 6th to hear Dorian lift the sound.
On the piano, F♯ Dorian mode uses 4 black keys (F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯) and 3 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: F♯–A, G♯–B, A–C♯, B–D♯, C♯–E, D♯–F♯, E–G♯.
Three ways to practise F♯ Dorian
Once F♯ Dorian is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 7 notes.
- Three-note runs: F♯ G♯ A · G♯ A B · A B C♯ · B C♯ D♯ · C♯ D♯ E · D♯ E F♯.
- Lean on D♯: F♯ D♯ F♯ D♯ F♯: the natural 6th lifts it above natural minor.
Scales to compare with F♯ Dorian
Dorian mode in every key
F♯ Dorian mode: questions
What are the notes of the F♯ Dorian mode?
F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯ and E, then F♯ again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the F♯ Dorian mode?
Four: F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯.
What chords are in the F♯ Dorian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives F♯m (i), G♯m (ii), A (III), B (IV), C♯m (v), D♯dim (vi°) and E (VII).
What's the difference between F♯ Dorian mode and F♯ natural minor scale?
D♯ in F♯ Dorian; D in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as F♯ Dorian mode?
E major. F♯ Dorian is E major played from its 2nd note, F♯.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.