D♯ Dorian

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

PARENT FAMILY · C♯ MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	C♯ Ionian	C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	D♯ Dorian	D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	F Phrygian	Fm7 – G♭maj7 – A♭7 – B♭m7 – Cm7♭5 – D♭maj7 – E♭m7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	F♯ Lydian	F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	G♯ Mixolydian	G♯7 – A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	A♯ Aeolian	A♯m7 – Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	C Locrian	Cm7♭5 – C♯maj7 – D♯m7 – Fm7 – F♯maj7 – G♯7 – A♯m7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

D♯ F F♯ G♯ A♯ C C♯

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

D♯m7

II

Fm7

III

F♯maj7

IV

G♯7

V

A♯m7

VI

Cm7♭5

VII

C♯maj7

▸ Play D♯ Dorian over D♯m7 and G♯7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

D♯ Dorian is a minor mode with a soulful, minor but with hope character. It is the II mode of C♯ major — it uses the same 7 notes as C♯ Ionian but is rooted on D♯, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is D♯m7.

Where to use D♯ 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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