B dorian
B natural minor with one note raised: G♯. Seven notes: B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A. The same notes as A major, centred on B.
- Parent key
- A major Same notes
- Colour note
- G♯ The raised 6th
- Repeating chords
- Bm – E i – IV
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| iVampBmB · D · F♯ | ||||
| iiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯ | ||||
| ♭IIIDD · F♯ · A | ||||
| IVVampEE · G♯ · B | ||||
| vF♯mF♯ · A · C♯ | ||||
| vi°G♯°G♯ · B · D | ||||
| ♭VIIAA · C♯ · E |
Light up
What makes it dorian
Natural minor, with the 6th raised
One note separates B dorian from B natural minor: G becomes G♯. Over the same root, that turns Bm – Em into Bm – E.
B natural minor
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
B dorian
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- A
Hear the difference
One chord that says dorian
Bm6 holds G♯, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on B
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Dorian is row 4 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- B lydianBC♯D♯E♯F♯G♯A♯♯4
- B ionian (major)BC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♯—
- B mixolydianBC♯D♯EF♯G♯A♭7
- B dorianBC♯DEF♯G♯A♭3 ♭7
- B aeolian (natural minor)BC♯DEF♯GA♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- B phrygianBCDEF♯GA♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- B locrianBCDEFGA♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating Bm – E chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with G♯ ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickBm – E, two bars each, in frets 2–6. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
- Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while Bm – E sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver E, aim for G♯. It is the note that makes it dorian.80 bpmLevel 2
Dorian on every root
Pick a root
Other modes of A major's notes