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G♯ dorian

G♯ natural minor with one note raised: E♯. Seven notes: G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯. The same notes as F♯ major, centred on G♯.

Parent key
F♯ major Same notes
Colour note
E♯ The raised 6th
Repeating chords
G♯m – C♯ i – IV
80 bpm
Labels

Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode.

iVampG♯mG♯ · B · D♯
iiA♯mA♯ · C♯ · E♯
♭IIIBB · D♯ · F♯
IVVampC♯C♯ · E♯ · G♯
vD♯mD♯ · F♯ · A♯
vi°E♯°E♯ · G♯ · B
♭VIIF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯
Light up

What makes it dorian

Natural minor, with the 6th raised

One note separates G♯ dorian from G♯ natural minor: E becomes E♯. Over the same root, that turns G♯m – C♯m into G♯m – C♯.

G♯ natural minor
  1. G♯
  2. A♯
  3. B
  4. C♯
  5. D♯
  6. E
  7. F♯
G♯ dorian
  1. G♯
  2. A♯
  3. B
  4. C♯
  5. D♯
  6. E♯
  7. F♯

Hear the difference

xx
G♯m6

One chord that says dorian

G♯m6 holds E♯, the colour note. Play it to hear those notes together.

The brightness ladder

Seven modes on G♯

From brightest to darkest, each row lowers one note of the row above. Dorian is row 4 of seven.

↑ Brighter

  1. A♭ lydianA♭B♭CDE♭FGsame sound as G♯ lydian♯4
  2. A♭ ionian (major)A♭B♭CD♭E♭FGsame sound as G♯ ionian (major)—
  3. G♯ mixolydianG♯A♯B♯C♯D♯E♯F♯♭7
  4. G♯ dorianG♯A♯BC♯D♯E♯F♯♭3 ♭7
  5. G♯ aeolian (natural minor)G♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯♭3 ♭6 ♭7
  6. G♯ phrygianG♯ABC♯D♯EF♯♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
  7. G♯ locrianG♯ABC♯DEF♯♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7

Darker ↓

Jam along

Three drills over the vamp

Play over the repeating G♯m – C♯ chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with E♯ ringed.

  1. The vamp, with a clickG♯m – C♯, two bars each, in frets 3–7. Strum on the beat.80 bpmLevel 1
  2. Scale over the vampUp the scale and back down, one note a beat, while G♯m – C♯ sounds. Stay in frets 3–7.80 bpmLevel 1
  3. Land on the colour noteOver C♯, aim for E♯. It is the note that makes it dorian.80 bpmLevel 2

Dorian on every root

Pick a root

Other modes of F♯ major's notes