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MusicTheoryGym

Scale · 7 notes

E♭ Dorian Scale

E♭ Dorian is a 7-note scale with the notes E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭. It sounds minor with a bright raised 6th, cool and groovy, common in funk, rock and jazz.

CFD♭E♭G♭A♭B♭

Purple = E♭ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every E♭ dorian note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CE♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FA♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭FG♭A♭B♭CD♭E♭FG♭

Blue = E♭ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the E♭ Dorian scale

DegreeNoteName
1E♭Tonic
2FSupertonic
♭3G♭Mediant
4A♭Subdominant
5B♭Dominant
6CSubmediant
♭7D♭Subtonic

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭.

E♭ Dorian scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – H – W – W – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.

Chords in the E♭ Dorian scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
iE♭mE♭m7
iiFmFm7
IIIG♭G♭maj7
IVA♭A♭7
vB♭mB♭m7
vi°C°Cø7
VIID♭D♭maj7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

Related scales

  • Parent major scale: D♭ Major, which has exactly the same notes as E♭ Dorian.

How to practise the E♭ Dorian scale

Learn each mode by its characteristic note: the one that makes it different from the major or minor scale it most resembles. Play a drone on the tonic while you play the scale to hear its colour.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the E♭ Dorian scale?

The notes of the E♭ Dorian scale are E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭.

What is the formula for the E♭ Dorian scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W – H – W – W – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.

What chords are in the E♭ Dorian scale?

Built from the scale in triads: E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m, C°, D♭.

More E♭ scales

E♭ Major, E♭ Natural Minor, E♭ Harmonic Minor, E♭ Melodic Minor, E♭ Phrygian, E♭ Lydian, E♭ Mixolydian, E♭ Major Pentatonic, E♭ Minor Pentatonic, E♭ Lydian Dominant, E♭ Whole Tone, E♭ Dorian ♭2, E♭ Lydian Augmented, E♭ Mixolydian ♭6, E♭ Phrygian Dominant, E♭ Hungarian Minor, E♭ Double Harmonic, E♭ Diminished (H–W), E♭ Bebop Dominant, E♭ Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.