E Dorian

Soulful, minor but with hope — built from D major

PARENT FAMILY · D MAJ

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

#	Mode	Diatonic chords	Mood
I	D Ionian	Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5	Happy, bright, resolved
II	E Dorian	Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7	Soulful, minor but with hope
III	F♯ Phrygian	F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7	Dark, tense, Spanish/flamenco
IV	G Lydian	Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7	Dreamy, floating, ethereal
V	A Mixolydian	A7 – Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7	Bluesy, dominant, rock
VI	B Aeolian	Bm7 – C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7	Melancholic, natural minor
VII	C♯ Locrian	C♯m7♭5 – Dmaj7 – Em7 – F♯m7 – Gmaj7 – A7 – Bm7	Unstable, tense, dissonant

SCALE · 7 NOTES · 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

E F♯ G A B C♯ D

Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

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

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

DIATONIC 7ths · CHORD PAD

I

Em7

II

F♯m7

III

Gmaj7

IV

A7

V

Bm7

VI

C♯m7♭5

VII

Dmaj7

▸ Play E Dorian over Em7 and A7 progressions.

FRETBOARD · STANDARD TUNING · 15F● LIVE

CHARACTER · SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

SOULFUL, MINOR BUT WITH HOPE

E Dorian is a minor mode with a soulful, minor but with hope character. It is the II mode of D major — it uses the same 7 notes as D Ionian but is rooted on E, which shifts the harmonic focus and creates a completely different sound. The tonic chord is Em7.

Where to use E 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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