B Dorian

Soulful, minor but with hope — built from A major

PARENT FAMILY · A MAJ

All 7 modes share the same parent scale (A major). B Dorian is the II mode.

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	A Ionian	Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	B Dorian	Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	C♯ Phrygian	C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	D Lydian	Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	E Mixolydian	E7 – F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	F♯ Aeolian	F♯m7 – G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	G♯ Locrian	G♯m7♭5 – Amaj7 – Bm7 – C♯m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

B C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

The Dorian scale on B contains the notes B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A. The pentatonic subset is B, C♯, E, F♯, A.

Characteristic note: the natural 6th separates Dorian from the minor (Aeolian).

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Bm7

II

C♯m7

III

Dmaj7

IV

E7

V

F♯m7

VI

G♯m7♭5

VII

Amaj7

▸ Play B Dorian over Bm7 and E7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

B Dorian is a minor mode with a soulful, minor but with hope character. It is the II mode of A major — it uses the same 7 notes as A Ionian but is rooted on B, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Bm7.

Where to use B Dorian

Jazz, blues-rock, funk, Latin.

Famous examples

So What (Miles Davis)
Oye Como Va
Scarborough Fair

What makes it distinctive: the natural 6th separates Dorian from the minor (Aeolian).

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