D dorian
D natural minor with one note raised: B. Seven notes: D E F G A B C. The same notes as C major, centred on D.
- Parent key
- C major Same notes
- Colour note
- B The raised 6th
- Repeating chords
- Dm – G i – IV
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| iVampDmD · F · A | ||||
| iiEmE · G · B | ||||
| ♭IIIFF · A · C | ||||
| IVVampGG · B · D | ||||
| vAmA · C · E | ||||
| vi°B°B · D · F | ||||
| ♭VIICC · E · G |
Light up
What makes it dorian
Natural minor, with the 6th raised
One note separates D dorian from D natural minor: B♭ becomes B. Over the same root, that turns Dm – Gm into Dm – G.
D natural minor
- D
- E
- F
- G
- A
- B♭
- C
D dorian
- D
- E
- F
- G
- A
- B
- C
Hear the difference
One chord that says dorian
Dm6 holds B, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.
The brightness ladder
Seven modes on D
From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Dorian is row 4 of seven.
↑ Brighter
- D lydianDEF♯G♯ABC♯♯4
- D ionian (major)DEF♯GABC♯—
- D mixolydianDEF♯GABC♭7
- D dorianDEFGABC♭3 ♭7
- D aeolian (natural minor)DEFGAB♭C♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- D phrygianDE♭FGAB♭C♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- D locrianDE♭FGA♭B♭C♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating Dm – G chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with B ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickDm – G, two bars each, in frets 1–5. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
- Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while Dm – G sounds. Stay in frets 1–5.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver G, aim for B. It is the note that makes it dorian.80 bpmLevel 2