Chord Colors

G♭ Dorian scale

357912

About the G flat Dorian scale

G flat Dorian is used for funk, jazz, Celtic tunes and moody-but-groovy rock like "So What" and "Scarborough Fair". Think of it as a minor scale with a hopeful lift, thanks to its raised sixth. It is G Mixolydian with the third lowered.

Its notes are G, A, B♭♭, C, D, E, and F. The formula is W H W W W H W. It is the second mode of F Major.

Also called Kafi and Kharaharapriya.

Learn more about the G♭ Dorian scale

In G Dorian, the open strings sound E, A, and B. The lowest G on a standard-tuned guitar sits at the 2nd fret of the low E string. Capo the second fret to play G Dorian with E-shape fingerings.

Positions

Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.

CAGED

Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.

E shapefr 1
D shapefr 4
C shapefr 6
A shapefr 8
G shapefr 11
3NPS

3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.

Shape 1open
Shape 2fr 2
Shape 3fr 4
Shape 4fr 5
Shape 5fr 7
Shape 6fr 9
Shape 7fr 11
7-position system

7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.

Position 1open
Position 2fr 2
Position 3fr 4
Position 4fr 5
Position 5fr 7
Position 6fr 9
Position 7fr 11

Chords in the key of G flat Dorian

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

i G flat minor
Position 1 of 4
ii A flat minor
Position 1 of 4
4fr
III B double flat
Position 1 of 4
IV C flat
Position 1 of 4
v D flat minor
Position 1 of 4
vi° E flat diminished
Position 1 of 4
VII F flat
Position 1 of 4

Seventh chords in G flat Dorian

The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.

i G flat minor seven
Position 1 of 4
ii A flat minor seven
Position 1 of 4
4fr
III B double flat major seven
Position 1 of 4
IV C flat seven
Position 1 of 4
v D flat minor seven
Position 1 of 4
4fr
vi° E flat minor seven flat five
Position 1 of 4
VII F flat major seven
Position 1 of 4

Progressions in G flat Dorian

Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.

Common
Common

Notes and intervals

1GbG♭Root
2AbA♭Major 2nd
3BbbB♭♭Minor 3rd
4CbC♭Perfect 4th
5DbD♭Perfect 5th
6EbE♭Major 6th
7FbF♭Minor 7th
StepsW H W W W H W
Semitones2-1-2-2-2-1-2
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Dorian in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

Embed this scale

Paste the snippet into a lesson page, a blog or a forum post. The card links back here.

Gb Dorian scale on guitar shown as colored note dots
Chord Colors

There's so much more to explore

Explore on the go. Over 150 chord progressions, modal mixture, build your own progressions, and more!

Try web version iOS app
Chord Colors on iPhone showing chords, guitar voicings, progressions, and scales