The Dorian mode on bass:
notes, formula and position

The Dorian mode has 7 notes: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. In A, that gives A, B, C, D, E, F♯ and G. The most used minor mode on bass in funk, soul and modal jazz: Miles Davis’s “So What” is in D Dorian. Its major sixth gives a warm minor sound, less dark than Aeolian.

Also called: Dorian, Dorian scale, Dorian minor.

Formula and notes

1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7

The steps between the notes, from the root to the octave: whole step – half step – whole step – whole step – whole step – half step – whole step. In A:

Where the Dorian mode comes from

It is the 2nd mode of the major scale: you play the notes of the major scale starting from its 2nd degree. The Dorian mode in A therefore has the same notes as G major. What changes is the home note: the root A, the note your line keeps coming back to.

One position on the neck

The Dorian mode in A, in the 5th-fret position: one finger per fret, from the 4th to the 8th fret, on all four strings. The numbers are the degrees; the root is in gold.

The same position as bass tab (fret by fret, from the low E string to the G string):

G|-4--5--7-|
D|-4--5--7-|
A|-5--7-|
E|-5--7--8-|

For another key, move the whole shape: the root on the E string sets the key (3rd fret for G, 8th fret for C).

The sound of the Dorian mode

2nd mode. Minor with major 6th. The most versatile minor mode. Miles Davis loved it.

You mostly hear it in jazz, funk, neo-soul and Latin music.

Which chords to play it over

In A, the Dorian mode fits Am7, Am9 and Am13. On bass, keep the root on the strong beats and use the other notes to connect the chords.

Neighbouring scales

These scales differ from the Dorian mode by a single note. Comparing them lets you hear exactly what that note brings.

• The natural minor scale: ♭6 instead of 6.
• The melodic minor scale: 7 instead of ♭7.
• The Mixolydian mode: 3 instead of ♭3.
• The Dorian ♯4 mode: ♯4 instead of 4.
• The Dorian ♭2 mode: ♭2 instead of 2.

Practice it with UnitBasse

This diagram shows a single position, in a single key. In UnitBasse, this scale is shown across the whole neck and in all twelve keys, as note names, intervals or degrees, with one color per degree. You can listen to it, see the chords that go with it, switch keys in one click, and play it over a chord chart with BackTrack, the app’s backing band. The app has 69 scales in 12 families.

Frequently asked questions