C Dorian #4 Guitar Scale

C Dorian #4 Scale — Notes and Intervals

The C Dorian #4 scale, known in Eastern Europe as the Ukrainian Dorian or Misheberak, has a deeply soulful, crying quality. On Guitar, the notes are C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb. It is a pillar of Jewish Klezmer music and traditional Balkan folk songs. Commonly used in Klezmer, Balkan Folk, Metal, Film Scores. Notable players include Itzhak Perlman, Bregovic, System of a Down. Use over m7 chords in Klezmer and Balkan contexts. The #4 adds the exotic 'weeping' quality that defines these traditions.

Notes: C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4A, 5P, 6M, 7m

Degrees: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7

Formula: W-H-WH-H-W-H-W

Number of notes: 7

Also known as: ukrainian dorian, romanian minor, altered dorian

Musical Character

Also known as the Ukrainian Dorian or Misheberak mode. The #4 within a minor context creates the characteristic 'crying' quality of Jewish and Eastern European music.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Klezmer, Balkan Folk, Metal, Film Scores

Notable players: Itzhak Perlman, Bregovic, System of a Down

How to Use the C Dorian #4 Scale

Use over m7 chords in Klezmer and Balkan contexts. The #4 adds the exotic 'weeping' quality that defines these traditions.

Origin & Background

Known as the Ukrainian Dorian or Misheberak scale. A pillar of Jewish Klezmer music and traditional Balkan folk songs. In Eastern European music it is sometimes called Karcigar, after the Turkish makam of the same name. In Greek folk tradition it appears under the name Souzinak.

How to Play C Dorian #4 on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 8 on the 6th (low E) to find your C root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is open position.

The C Dorian #4 scale contains both sharps and flats (1 sharp, 2 flats), which is common in altered and exotic scales. Its relative major is Eb major, which shares the same key signature.

Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing

Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the C Dorian #4 scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.

Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on C to let the characteristic intervals of the Dorian #4 scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in balkan folk contexts.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, practice the C Dorian #4 scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications. Aim for a soulful quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

Dorian #4 is the 4th mode of the Harmonic Minor scale. View C Harmonic minor scale

• C Dorian
• C Hungarian minor
• C Harmonic minor

The C Dorian #4 scale contains 7 notes (C, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for C Dorian #4

The C Dorian #4 scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore C Dorian #4 Further

• Harmonize the C Dorian #4 scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• C Dorian #4 on Ukulele
• C Dorian #4 on Bass
• C Dorian #4 on Piano

Explore C Dorian #4 in Other Tunings

• C Dorian #4 in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• C Dorian #4 in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• C Dorian #4 in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• C Dorian #4 in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• C Dorian #4 in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• C Dorian #4 in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• C Dorian #4 in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• C Dorian #4 in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• C Dorian #4 in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• C Dorian #4 in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• C Dorian #4 in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• C Dorian #4 in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• C Dorian #4 in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• C Dorian #4 in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

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