Dorian Mode - Introduction

We're going to learn about one of the most popular modes in Western music:

The Dorian Mode

The Dorian mode is a minor mode that has a unique sound that's both bright and melancholic. It's been used in countless songs across many different genres, from rock to jazz to pop.

So, what is the Dorian mode?

There are two common ways of viewing it:

1 - Minor Mode starting from the 2nd note in a Major Key

If we take the G major scale as an example, it has the notes - G A B C D E F# G.

If we then simply start on the second note, the A, we have this - A B C D E F# G A - which is the A Dorian Mode

This gives us a minor sound as the 3rd note in A - the C - is a tone and a half away from the root note. This is often called a minor 3rd and it is the 3rd note that decides if a chord or scale is major or minor.

If you are unclear on these basics, then you should check out Mastering Chord Basics.

Now let's look at the second way to view the Dorian mode.

2 - Natural Minor with a raised 6th Note

If we take the A Natural Minor Scale (Aeolian) it consists of the notes - A B C D E F G A

Now if we raise the 6th note, the F, by a half step, we have an F# giving us - A B C D E F# G A

Which you should notice is exactly the same as what we got above in approach 1.

Neither of these ways of viewing the Dorian mode is better than the other, it just depends on what's best for you. If your pretty confident with the Natural Minor Scale for example, it will be pretty easy for you to just move that F note up one fret each time to the F#.

Check out these diagrams showing how to move that one note to create a whole new sound:

Here's the A Natural Minor Scale in a 3-note-per-string pattern. It also shows the F note and where it moves.

And here's the A Dorian Mode also in a 3-note-per-string pattern after we've moved that F note.

Why would you want to use the Dorian Mode?

• As mentioned, the Dorian mode gives us a minor sound, but a brighter one than the Natural Minor due to that raised 6th.

• It is the second mode in a major scale / key, which is really important when playing ii V I chord progressions which are one of the most common in jazz, and also found in blues and other genres. This is because when playing the ii chord, we really should play the Dorian over this rather than a Natural Minor as it fits better because it's the second chord in a major key - remember the first way of viewing the Dorian mode above? Again, check out the Mastering Chord Basics if unsure.

• Having a brighter minor mode allows us to increase our colour palette just like a painter. It simply allows us more options and more ways to express ourselves. We can combine modes to allow us to express ourselves even further.

• Another important point, is that it also changes the chords in our progressions, which has a big impact on the overall sound. Great examples of this are that the 2nd chord in the A Dorian mode would be Bm7, in the Natural Minor it would be Bm7b5. The 4th chord would be D7 in A Dorian, but Dm7 in A Natural Minor.

Exercise:

Play a 1, 4, 5, 1 (i iv v i) chord progression in A Natural Minor, then do the same in A Dorian. Listen to how different it sounds:

1 - A Natural Minor: Am7, Dm7, Em7, Am7

2 - A Dorian: Am7, D7, Em7, Am7

Okay, now we've got a basic understanding of what the Dorian Mode is, let's move on to learning how to use it.

The first thing we're going to do is learn the A Dorian Pentatonic Scale. Pentatonic scales are amongst the most used on the guitar, and most of you will be familiar with them. This makes it an excellent jumping off point, and the Dorian Pentatonic also contains only the main tones of the 1st, minor 3rd, 4th, 5th and the Dorian colour tone. Which means we have all of our most valuable notes within easy reach.

All right, let's check it out in the next section.

Lesson Summary

One of the most popular modes in Western music is the Dorian Mode, a minor mode with a sound that's both bright and melancholic, used in various genres like rock, jazz, and pop.

There are two common ways to view the Dorian mode:

• Minor Mode starting from the 2nd note in a Major Key
  • If we start on the second note of a major scale like G major (G A B C D E F# G), we get the A Dorian Mode (A B C D E F# G A).
  • This approach gives a minor sound due to the interval between the root note and the 3rd note.
• Natural Minor with a raised 6th Note
  • By raising the 6th note of a natural minor scale such as A Natural Minor (A B C D E F G A) to F#, we obtain the A Dorian Mode (A B C D E F# G A).
  • Both perspectives lead to the same Dorian mode sound.

The Dorian mode provides a minor sound brighter than the Natural Minor due to the raised 6th, making it suitable for jazz and blues, enhancing chord progressions like ii V I, and expanding musical expression possibilities.

Usage of the Dorian Mode:

• It is useful in jazz and blues for the ii chord in a progression.
• Offers a brighter minor mode, expanding musical options.
• Changes chord progressions, altering the overall sound.

Exercise: Compare chord progressions in A Natural Minor and A Dorian to hear the difference: Am7, Dm7, Em7, Am7 vs. Am7, D7, Em7, Am7.

After understanding the Dorian Mode, learn its application by starting with the A Dorian Pentatonic Scale, which contains essential tones like the root, minor 3rd, 4th, 5th, and Dorian color tone.