G Dorian Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The G Dorian scale has 7 notes: G – A – B♭ – C – D – E – F. Dorian is a minor scale with a bright major 6th. That one note lifts the sadness of the natural minor and gives a cool, soulful sound: the scale of funk vamps, Santana solos and modal jazz. In Indian music it is Kafi thaat.

Compared with the G major scale it has ♭3 (B♭ instead of B), ♭7 (F instead of F♯).

The explorer above is set to G Dorian: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

G Dorian scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from G	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	G	R	0	S
2	A	M2	2	R
♭3	B♭	m3	3	g
4	C	P4	5	M
5	D	P5	7	P
6	E	M6	9	D
♭7	F	m7	10	n

Steps between the notes: W H W W W H W (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any G and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

G Dorian scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, G Dorian has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on G on the low E string at fret 3; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 3–8	5 6 8	5 6 8	3 5 7	3 5 7	3 5 7	3 5 6
Position 2 frets 5–10	6 8 10	6 8 10	5 7 9	5 7 8	5 7 8	5 6 8
Position 3 frets 6–12	8 10 12	8 10 11	7 9 10	7 8 10	7 8 10	6 8 10
Position 4 frets 8–13	10 12 13	10 11 13	9 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12	8 10 12
Position 5 frets 10–15	12 13 15	11 13 15	10 12 14	10 12 14	10 12 13	10 12 13
Position 6 frets 12–17	13 15 17	13 15 17	12 14 15	12 14 15	12 13 15	12 13 15
Position 7 frets 13–18	15 17 18	15 17 18	14 15 17	14 15 17	13 15 17	13 15 17

Chords in the G Dorian scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in G Dorian is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	i	ii	♭III	IV	v	vi°	♭VII
Triad	Gm	Am	B♭	C	Dm	Edim	F
7th chord	Gm7	Am7	B♭maj7	C7	Dm7	Em7♭5	Fmaj7

Where you hear it

G Dorian is used in funk, soul, jazz, Latin rock and Celtic music. It sounds best over minor 7th chords, especially a i7 – IV7 vamp.

Backing tracks to practise G Dorian

G minor blues G minor rock G minor funk Gm Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 3–8) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every G (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on G.