The Dorian ♯4 mode on bass:
notes, formula and position

The Dorian ♯4 mode has 7 notes: 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7. In A, that gives A, B, C, D♯, E, F♯ and G. The 4th mode of harmonic minor, also called the Romanian minor or Ukrainian Dorian: you hear it in klezmer and Eastern European music.

Also called: Romanian minor, Ukrainian Dorian, mode IV of harmonic 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 – step and a half – half step – whole step – half step – whole step. In A:

Where the Dorian ♯4 mode comes from

It is the 4th mode of harmonic minor: you play the notes of harmonic minor starting from its 4th degree. The Dorian ♯4 mode in A therefore has the same notes as E harmonic minor. What changes is the home note: the root A, the note your line keeps coming back to.

One position on the neck

The Dorian ♯4 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--8-|
D|-4--5--7-|
A|-6--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 ♯4 mode

4th mode. Dorian with augmented fourth. Also called Ukrainian Dorian: klezmer, Ukrainian and Romanian music.

You mostly hear it in klezmer, world music and jazz.

Which chords to play it over

In A, the Dorian ♯4 mode fits Am7 and Am11♯11. 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 ♯4 mode by a single note. Comparing them lets you hear exactly what that note brings.

• The Dorian mode: 4 instead of ♯4.
• The Lydian dominant scale: 3 instead of ♭3.
• The Hungarian major scale: 3 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