G Dorian B2 Guitar Scale

G Dorian B2 in Double Drop D — Notes and Intervals

The G Dorian B2 scale is a soulful mode from the melodic minor system that combines the minor brightness of Dorian with the dark tension of a flattened second. On Guitar, the notes are G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E, F. It is used in modern jazz and film scores to create a sound that is both sophisticated and slightly unsettling. Commonly used in Jazz, Film Scores, Fusion, Contemporary. Notable players include Wayne Shorter, Kenny Garrett, Brad Mehldau. Use over m7, m9, sus(b9) chords. Works on the ii chord in a minor ii-V-i when you want extra tension.

Notes: G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E, F

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

Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7

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

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: Double Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-D)

Also known as: phrygian #6, melodic minor second mode

About Double Drop D Tuning

Double Drop D tuning (D-A-D-G-B-D) lowers both the 6th and 1st strings from E to D, creating a symmetrical frame of D notes around the standard middle four strings. This gives a distinctly resonant, jangly character that has been beloved in folk-rock and acoustic music since the late 1960s.

Neil Young used Double Drop D extensively — 'Cinnamon Girl' features its distinctive droning riff, and 'The Needle and the Damage Done' showcases its intimate fingerpicking potential. Jimmy Page used it on Led Zeppelin's 'Going to California'. Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' also employs this tuning. Because only two strings change (both by just one whole step), Double Drop D is one of the easiest alternate tunings to learn — most standard chord shapes on the inner four strings remain unchanged.

Notable artists: Neil Young, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills Nash & Young

Best for: Folk-rock songwriting, D-centric acoustic arrangements, droning fingerpicking patterns, and any song that benefits from rich D-string resonance on both outer strings

Musical Character

Combines Dorian's soulful minor with the exotic tension of a b2, creating a sound that is both sophisticated and slightly sinister — a favorite for film noir and modern jazz.

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

• G Dorian B2 in Standard Tuning
• G Dorian B2 in Drop D
• G Dorian B2 in DADGAD
• G Dorian B2 in Open G
• G Dorian B2 in Baritone (B Standard)
• G Dorian B2 in 7-string
• G Dorian B2 in 8-string
• G Dorian B2 in Drop C
• G Dorian B2 in Drop B
• G Dorian B2 in Open D
• G Dorian B2 in Half Step Down
• G Dorian B2 in Open E
• G Dorian B2 in Open A
• G Dorian B2 in Open C

← All Guitar scales in Double Drop D tuning