Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic
A Dorian b5 Scale
Mode 2 of Harmonic Major: Dorian with a lowered 5th.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Dorian b5 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|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------7-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-8-----------| D|-------------5-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-6-9-----------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------7-8-10-11-| B|------------------------------8-10-----------| G|-----------------------7-8-11----------------| D|----------------7-9-10-----------------------| A|-----------9-10------------------------------| E|-7-8-10-11-----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-11-| B|--------------------------------10-12-13-------| G|--------------------------11-12----------------| D|---------------9-10-12-13----------------------| A|-------9-10-12---------------------------------| E|-10-11-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-15-| B|----------------------------------13-15-16-------| G|-------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|----------------12-13-16-------------------------| A|-------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-14-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------14-15-17-| B|-------------------------------------15-16----------| G|----------------------------14-16-17----------------| D|----------------------16-17-------------------------| A|----------14-15-17-18-------------------------------| E|-14-15-17-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Dorian b5 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 | B |
| ♭3 | C |
| 4 | D |
| ♭5 | Eb |
| 6 | F# |
| ♭7 | G |
Chords in A Dorian b5
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Dorian b5; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Adim | Am7b5 | Tonic |
| ii | Bm | Bm7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Cm | Cm(maj7) | Mediant |
| IV | D | D7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V+ | Ebaug | Ebmaj7#5 | Dominant |
| vi° | F#dim | F#dim7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | G | Gmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Dorian b5 anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Dorian b5 Scale?
- The A Dorian b5 Scale has 7 notes: A, B, C, D, Eb, F#, G.
- What chords are in the A Dorian b5 Scale?
- The chords of A Dorian b5 are Adim (i°), Bm (ii), Cm (♭iii), D (IV), Ebaug (♭V+), F#dim (vi°), G (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the dorian b5 scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W H W+H H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Dorian b5 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.