C Dorian

Soulful, minor but with hope — built from A♯ major

PARENT FAMILY · A♯ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	A♯ Ionian	A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	C Dorian	Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	D Phrygian	Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	D♯ Lydian	D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	F Mixolydian	F7 – Gm7 – Am7♭5 – B♭maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – E♭maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	G Aeolian	Gm7 – Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	A Locrian	Am7♭5 – A♯maj7 – Cm7 – Dm7 – D♯maj7 – F7 – Gm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

C D D♯ F G A A♯

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Cm7

II

Dm7

III

D♯maj7

IV

F7

V

Gm7

VI

Am7♭5

VII

A♯maj7

▸ Play C Dorian over Cm7 and F7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

C 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 C, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Cm7.

Where to use C 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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