F Dorian Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram
F Dorian in 7-string — Notes and Intervals
The F Dorian scale is the second mode of the major scale, offering a soulful and sophisticated minor sound. On Guitar, it contains the notes F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb. Because it features a major sixth, it sounds brighter and more hopeful than the natural minor. It is the go-to scale for jazz, funk, and modal blues. The diatonic chords of F Dorian are Fm7, Gm7, AbMaj7, Bb7, Cm7, Dm7b5, EbMaj7. Commonly used in Funk, Jazz, Fusion, Neo-Soul, Blues. Notable players include Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, D'Angelo. Use over m7, m9, m11, m13 chords. The go-to scale for any minor chord in funk, jazz, and soul. Works especially well over long minor vamps.
Notes: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Formula: W-H-W-W-W-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Diatonic Chords
Fm7 — Gm7 — A♭Maj7 — B♭7 — Cm7 — Dm7♭5 — E♭Maj7
About 7-string Tuning
The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.
Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.
Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah
Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony
Musical Character
The natural 6th degree (vs b6 in Aeolian) gives Dorian its signature 'hopeful minor' character — darker than major, but brighter than natural minor.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- I – V – vi – IV (Pop Progression)Pop / Rock — Hope & Joy
- vi – IV – I – V (Melancholic Variation)Pop / Rock — Melancholy
- ii – V – I (Jazz ii–V–I)Jazz / Soul — Sophistication
- ii – bII7 – I (Tritone Substitution)Jazz / Soul — Mystery & Tension
- IV – V – iii – vi (Royal Road (J-Pop))World / J-Pop — Yearning & Nostalgia
- IV – V – iii – vi – ii – V – I (Japanese Circle)World / J-Pop — Complete Resolution
- i – iv – i – V (Minor Blues)Blues — Melancholy
- i – VI – III – VII (Cinematic Minor)Contemporary / Film — Dramatic & Dark
- vi – viM7 – vi7 – II (Descending Minor Cliché)Classical / Pop — Romance & Intrigue
- iv – ♭VII – I (Backdoor Cadence)Jazz / Soul — Soulful & Unexpected