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Guitar scale · Phrygian natural 6

Ab Dorian b2 Scale

Mode 2 of Melodic Minor: Dorian with a lowered 2nd. A minor scale with a Phrygian edge and a major 6th.

Notes AbACbDbEbFGb
Formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Steps H W W W W H W
Mood Dark, Jazzy, Suspended
Heard in Over 7sus4♭9 chords, Modal Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

Ab Dorian b2 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

Ab 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.

Position 1 · E shape frets 4–8
e|-----------------------------4-5-7-|
B|-------------------------6-7-------|
G|-------------------4-6-8-----------|
D|-------------4-6-7-----------------|
A|-------4-6-8-----------------------|
E|-4-5-7-----------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 6–10
e|-------------------------------7-9-|
B|------------------------7-9-10-----|
G|-----------------6-8-10------------|
D|-----------6-7-9-------------------|
A|-----6-8-9-------------------------|
E|-7-9-------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 8–12
e|-------------------------------------9-11-|
B|-----------------------------9-10-12------|
G|---------------------8-10-11--------------|
D|----------------9-11----------------------|
A|------8-9-11-12---------------------------|
E|-9-11-------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-|
B|-------------------------------------12-14----------|
G|----------------------------11-13-14----------------|
D|-------------------11-13-15-------------------------|
A|----------11-12-14----------------------------------|
E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 13–17
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-17-|
B|-------------------------------------14-16-------------|
G|----------------------------13-14-16-------------------|
D|-------------------13-15-16----------------------------|
A|-------------14-16-------------------------------------|
E|-13-14-16-17-------------------------------------------|

How to play Ab Dorian b2 on guitar

Find the root first: Ab is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Ab 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 4–8. 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.

Ab Dorian b2 is also written G# Dorian b2: G# A B C# D# E# F#. The frets are the same; under that name every note keeps its own letter, with no double sharps or flats.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 Ab
♭2 A
♭3 Cb
4 Db
5 Eb
6 F
♭7 Gb

Chords in Ab Dorian b2

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Ab Dorian b2; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i Abm Abm7 Tonic
♭II+ Aaug Amaj7#5 Supertonic
♭III Cb Cb7 Mediant
IV Db Db7 Subdominant
v° Ebdim Ebm7b5 Dominant
vi° Fdim Fm7b5 Submediant
♭vii Gbm Gbm(maj7) Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the Ab Dorian b2 Scale?
The Ab Dorian b2 Scale has 7 notes: Ab, A, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb.
What chords are in the Ab Dorian b2 Scale?
The chords of Ab Dorian b2 are Abm (i), Aaug (♭II+), Cb (♭III), Db (IV), Ebdim (v°), Fdim (vi°), Gbm (♭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 Ab Dorian b2 on the guitar?
The root Ab is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 4–8, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Dorian b2 Scale in every key

More scales in Ab