The notes of the D Dorian scale scale are D, E, F, G, A, B, C. With 7 notes and the formula W–H–W–W–W–H–W, it is one of the 7-note scales in this series. This page is a complete reference: the formula, the intervals, the fingerings on guitar, piano and ukulele, and the musical contexts where the scale works.
What notes are in the D Dorian scale?
The D Dorian scale contains 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Those notes are fixed — play a different set and you are playing a different scale. The scale starts on D and returns to D an octave higher, passing through every note in the list above in order.
| Degree | Note | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | 0 |
| 2 | E | 2 |
| 3 | F | 3 |
| 4 | G | 5 |
| 5 | A | 7 |
| 6 | B | 9 |
| 7 | C | 10 |
The formula of the D Dorian scale is W–H–W–W–W–H–W, where W is a whole step (two semitones) and H is a half step (one semitone). Follow that pattern from D and you get exactly the notes above, in order. The intervals from the root are 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 semitones. Learning the formula matters more than memorising the notes, because the same formula from any root gives you the same scale in a new key.
The D Dorian scale sounds cool, jazzy and slightly dark — a minor scale with a raised 6th that lifts it out of sadness. That character comes from the intervals, especially the notes that differ from the major scale — those are the notes that give the dorian scale its colour.
How to play it
On the guitar, anchor the D Dorian scale on the root D, which sits at fret 10 on the low E string. Play the scale across the strings from that root, one note per fret position where the pattern allows, and learn where the other D notes sit — on the A string, the D string and higher up the neck — so you can move the pattern to any position. The pattern is the same shape in every key; only the starting fret changes, which is why learning the D Dorian scale as a shape plus a root note is more useful than learning it as a list of frets.
On the low E string of the guitar, the notes of the D Dorian scale fall at D at fret 10, E at fret 0, F at fret 1, G at fret 3, A at fret 5, B at fret 7, C at fret 8. On the C string of the ukulele they fall at D at fret 2, E at fret 4, F at fret 5, G at fret 7, A at fret 9, B at fret 11, C at fret 0. Those fret numbers are worth learning, because they let you find any note of the D Dorian scale on a single string without working out the pattern: pick a string, count to the fret, and the note is there. Practise playing the scale up one string only, from the low root to the high root, and then play it across the strings as a pattern — the two ways of playing it teach different things, and both are useful.
On the piano, play the D Dorian scale with the notes D, E, F, G, A, B, C in order, ascending and then descending. There are no black keys in this scale, so the hand shape is all white keys and the thumb turns under in the usual places. Practise hands separately first, then together, at a slow tempo, and say each note name as you play it — that is what turns the D Dorian scale from a finger exercise into knowledge you can use.
On the ukulele, anchor the D Dorian scale on the root D, which sits at fret 2 on the C string. Play the scale across the four strings from that anchor, keeping the pattern close to the root position first, then try the same notes an octave higher. Use the Guitar Scale Finder, the Piano Scale Finder and the Ukulele Scale Finder to see the D Dorian scale on each instrument while you practise, and the Scale Finder to compare it with other scales.
How to use the Dorian scale
The D Dorian scale is the mode of jazz and funk minor grooves, used over minor 7th chords. Its home is the key of C major, and the chords built from its notes are Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim, C. Those chords are the ones the scale fits over most naturally: play the scale over any of them and every note belongs, because the chords are made from the scale itself. Start by soloing over the tonic chord — the chord built on D — and then try the scale over the other chords in the list, listening to how each chord changes which notes of the scale sound settled and which sound tense.
Its closest relative is the natural minor, which it differs from by the raised 6th. That comparison is the fastest way to hear what makes the D Dorian scale different: play both scales back to back from the same root and listen for the note or notes that change. In practice, use the D Dorian scale where its character fits the music — dorian colour over the chords listed above — and switch to its relatives when the mood needs to change. The Chord to Key Finder will tell you which key a set of chords belongs to, which is the practical way to choose between the D Dorian scale and its relatives in a real song.
Related scales
The scales most closely related to the D Dorian scale are D Major scale, D Natural minor scale, D Harmonic minor scale, C Dorian scale, C# Dorian scale. The first group shares the root D and changes the type, so you can hear how the same starting note produces a different colour. The second group keeps the dorian type and moves it to a different root, so you can hear the same colour at a different pitch. The parallel scale — D minor scale — starts on the same root D but is the opposite mode, and comparing the two is the classic way to learn what major and minor really mean. Work through the related scales one at a time, playing each from the same root, and the differences between them will become audible rather than theoretical.
Frequently asked questions
Which chords fit over the D Dorian scale?
The chords built from the scale itself fit best: Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim, C. Because those chords use only notes from the scale, every note of the D Dorian scale belongs over them. Start with the tonic chord built on D and work through the list.
Which key does the D Dorian scale belong to?
Its home is the key of C major. That key uses the same notes as the scale, so the scale and the key fit together exactly. The D Dorian scale is the scale you play when you are soloing or writing in that key.
How is the D Dorian scale different from the D major scale?
It differs by the notes that are not shared. Compare the two scales note by note from the same root D and the differing notes are the ones that give the dorian scale its character. The related-scales section above links both scales so you can compare them directly.
Is the D Dorian scale hard to learn?
It has 7 notes, which is a manageable size, and the formula W–H–W–W–W–H–W gives you a pattern to follow rather than a list to memorise. Learn it on one instrument first — guitar, piano or ukulele — play it up and down slowly, and then try it over the tonic chord built on D.
What notes are in the D Dorian scale?
The D Dorian scale contains D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Those 7 notes, in that order, are the whole scale — start on D, play through the list, and return to D an octave higher.