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
- Gm – C i – IV
Across one chord in different positions. Down one place, every chord of the mode. | ||||
| iVampGmG · B♭ · D | ||||
| iiAmA · C · E | ||||
| ♭IIIB♭B♭ · D · F | ||||
| IVVampCC · E · G | ||||
| vDmD · F · A | ||||
| vi°E°E · G · B♭ | ||||
| ♭VIIFF · 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 Gm – Cm into Gm – C.
G natural minor
- G
- A
- B♭
- C
- D
- E♭
- F
G dorian
- G
- A
- B♭
- C
- D
- E
- F
Hear the difference
One chord that says dorian
Gm6 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
- G lydianGABC♯DEF♯♯4
- G ionian (major)GABCDEF♯—
- G mixolydianGABCDEF♭7
- G dorianGAB♭CDEF♭3 ♭7
- G aeolian (natural minor)GAB♭CDE♭F♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- G phrygianGA♭B♭CDE♭F♭2 ♭3 ♭6 ♭7
- G locrianGA♭B♭CD♭E♭F♭2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7
Darker ↓
Jam along
Three drills over the vamp
Play over the repeating Gm – C chords with a metronome. The neck highlights the notes to aim for, with E ringed.
- The vamp, with a clickGm – C, 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 Gm – C sounds. Stay in frets 2–6.80 bpmLevel 1
- Land on the colour noteOver C, aim for E. It is the note that makes it dorian.80 bpmLevel 2