Ab Dorian
Ab Dorian scale for guitar.
The A flat Dorian is a seven-note scale. Colored circles in the diagram mark the notes, with darker color highlighting the root notes. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 4th fret.
Ab Dorian 2 octaves
Ab Dorian full fretboard
Ab Dorian note names
The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes, intervals and scale degrees.
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ab | Unison | Tonic |
| 2 | Bb | Major second | Supertonic |
| b3 | Cb | Minor third | Mediant |
| 4 | Db | Perfect fourth | Subdominant |
| 5 | Eb | Perfect fifth | Dominant |
| 6 | F | Sixth | Submediant |
| b7 | Gb | Minor seventh | Subtonic |
The third degree is written as Cb, which is the same as B. A practice in a scale notation is to not include the same letter twice, if it can be avoided.
The A flat Dorian scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as steps on the guitar fingerboard according to the following formula: whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half and whole from the first note to the same in the next octave.
The A flat Dorian is the second mode of the Gb Major Scale. It contains exactly the same notes, but starts on another note. Since Dorian has a Minor scale quality it can also be seen as a mode of the Eb Minor.
The A flat Dorian can also be recognized as an Ab Major Scale with a flattened third and a flattened seventh (Cb and Gb instead of C and G).
The scale is otherwise most related to the Ab Natural Minor and Ab Melodic Minor scales, which differ with just one note in both cases.
This scale is typically played over a minor seventh chord (primarily Abm7 in this case) and is used in styles such as jazz and blues. It is sometimes called A flat Jazz Minor (it shouldn't be confused with the Melodic Minor, which also is reckoned as a minor jazz scale).
One way to learn this scale is to observe the minor 7th chord shapes that it is built around. For example, the Abm7 barre chord with the root on the 6th string within the scale in 4th position. Another way is to think of it as the Ab Minor scale with a raised sixth.
Chords that are related to this scale are the following:
| Abm7, Abm9, Abm11 |
| Bbm7 |
| Bmaj7, Bmaj9 |
| Db7, Db9, Db11, Db13 |
| Ebm7, Ebm9, Ebm11 |
| Fm7b5 |
| Gbmaj7, Gbmaj9, Gbmaj13 |
The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Ab Dorian scale (triads have been excluded).
Related to this scale are Dorian b2 and Dorian #4, being the 2nd mode of the Melodic Minor and the 4th mode of the Harmonic Minor.
The Ab Dorian b2 scale, also known as Ab Phrygian #6 scale, is identical with the Ab Dorian except for the minor second. It can be displayed as follows:
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ab | Unison | Tonic |
| b2 | Bbb | Minor second | Supertonic |
| b3 | Cb | Minor third | Mediant |
| 4 | Db | Perfect fourth | Subdominant |
| 5 | Eb | Perfect fifth | Dominant |
| 6 | F | Sixth | Submediant |
| b7 | Gb | Minor seventh | Subtonic |
The Ab Dorian b2 contains the same notes as the Gb Melodic Minor Scale, but starts on another note.
The Ab Dorian #4 scale is identical with the Ab Dorian except for the augmented fourth. It can be displayed as follows:
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ab | Unison | Tonic |
| 2 | Bb | Major second | Supertonic |
| b3 | Cb | Minor third | Mediant |
| #4 | D | Augmented fourth | Subdominant |
| 5 | Eb | Perfect fifth | Dominant |
| 6 | F | Sixth | Submediant |
| b7 | Gb | Minor seventh | Subtonic |
The Ab Dorian #4 contains the same notes as the Eb Harmonic Minor Scale, but starts on another note.
Start the audio and play along with your guitar! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.
Normal tempo: