A Dorian Mode

What is the A Dorian Mode?

Dorian is the second mode of the major scale and sounds like a minor scale with a brighter edge, thanks to its natural 6th degree. That single raised note gives it a sophisticated, less heavy quality you can hear in everything from Miles Davis's "So What" to Carlos Santana's lead work. Here's how the A Dorian Mode lays out on the fretboard.

Notes and Positions

The second mode - minor with a raised 6th. Jazz and funk favorite. On bass, the fretboard view helps you visualize where the important tones sit for building lines across positions. Use a finger-per-fret approach first, then add shifts only when the line needs a wider range. In the key of A, the notes are: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G.

How to Use It

You'll often hear it in Jazz, Funk, Rock, and Latin. A good way to internalize the sound is to sing the root, then sing a few scale degrees before you play them.

Start with the root on beat 1, add the 5th on beat 3, then work the other scale tones in as passing notes. Use the interactive fretboard above to spot repeats of the same note on different strings and frets.