Guitar scale · Phrygian natural 6
A Dorian b2 Scale
Mode 2 of Melodic Minor: Dorian with a lowered 2nd. A minor scale with a Phrygian edge and a major 6th.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Dorian b2 Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-| B|-------------------------7-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-8-----------------| A|-------5-7-9-----------------------| E|-5-6-8-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------8-10-| B|---------------------------8-10-11------| G|--------------------7-9-11--------------| D|-------------7-8-10---------------------| A|------7-9-10----------------------------| E|-8-10-----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-| B|--------------------------------10-11-13-------| G|------------------------9-11-12----------------| D|------------------10-12------------------------| A|-------9-10-12-13------------------------------| E|-10-12-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------| A|----------12-13-15----------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-15-17-18-| B|-------------------------------------15-17-------------| G|----------------------------14-15-17-------------------| D|-------------------14-16-17----------------------------| A|-------------15-17-------------------------------------| E|-14-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Dorian b2 on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭2 | Bb |
| ♭3 | C |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | E |
| 6 | F# |
| ♭7 | G |
Chords in A Dorian b2
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Dorian b2; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am7 | Tonic |
| ♭II+ | Bbaug | Bbmaj7#5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | C | C7 | Mediant |
| IV | D | D7 | Subdominant |
| v° | Edim | Em7b5 | Dominant |
| vi° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Submediant |
| ♭vii | Gm | Gm(maj7) | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Dorian b2 Scale?
- The A Dorian b2 Scale has 7 notes: A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G.
- What chords are in the A Dorian b2 Scale?
- The chords of A Dorian b2 are Am (i), Bbaug (♭II+), C (♭III), D (IV), Edim (v°), F#dim (vi°), Gm (♭vii).
- What is the formula of the dorian b2 scale?
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern H W W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Dorian b2 on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.