G Dorian mode
G Dorian mode is G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F, with B♭. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
The notes, one step at a time
The step pattern is W H W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between A–B♭ and E–F.
| Degree | Note | Interval from G | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | root | |
| 2 | A | major second | |
| ♭3 | B♭ | minor third | |
| 4 | C | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | D | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | E | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | F | minor seventh |
What G Dorian sounds like
Dorian is a minor mode with a raised 6th. That one bright note (E) takes the sadness out of minor and gives the funky, soulful sound of a lot of rock, funk and modal jazz.
Play Gm and C back and forth and improvise with these notes; that major C is what separates Dorian from plain minor.
Compared with G natural minor scale, G Dorian mode has E where the other has E♭; the other six notes are shared. Hear G natural minor scale and compare.
G Dorian mode uses the same seven notes as F major, starting from G instead of F. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Dorian is playing it over a G bass or chord.
On piano and on guitar
B♭ is on black key; the rest are white.
On guitar the root sits at the 3rd fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 1–7 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 G Dorian mode; the ones that differ from the F major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
G Dorian mode shares all its notes with C Mixolydian (starting on the 4th note, C), D natural minor (starting on the 5th note, D), E Locrian (starting on the 6th note, E), F major (starting on the 7th note, F), A Phrygian (starting on the 2nd note, A) and B♭ Lydian (starting on the 3rd note, B♭). Which one you hear depends on which note the music treats as home.
Finding G Dorian on the neck
The root, G, sits at frets 3 and 15 on the low E string and 10 on the A string. Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 on the low E string. Over a minor chord, play natural minor first, then raise the 6th to hear Dorian lift the sound.
On the piano, G Dorian mode uses 1 black key (B♭) and 6 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: G–B♭, A–C, B♭–D, C–E, D–F, E–G, F–A.
Three ways to practise G Dorian
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: G A B♭ · A B♭ C · B♭ C D · C D E · D E F · E F G.
- Target E: G E G E G: the natural 6th lifts it above natural minor.
Scales to compare with G Dorian
Dorian mode in every key
G Dorian mode: questions
What are the notes of the G Dorian mode?
G, A, B♭, C, D, E, F, G. As degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the G Dorian mode?
One: B♭.
What chords are in the G Dorian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Gm (i), Am (ii), B♭ (III), C (IV), Dm (v), Edim (vi°) and F (VII).
What's the difference between G Dorian mode and G natural minor scale?
E in G Dorian; E♭ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as G Dorian mode?
F major. G Dorian is F major played from its 2nd note, G.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.