B Dorian #4 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
B Dorian #4 in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The B Dorian #4 scale, known in Eastern Europe as the Ukrainian Dorian or Misheberak, has a deeply soulful, crying quality. On Guitar, the notes are B, C#, D, F, F#, G#, A. 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: B, C#, D, F, F#, G#, A
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
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Also known as: ukrainian dorian, romanian minor, altered dorian
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
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.