Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic
E Dorian b5 Scale
Mode 2 of Harmonic Major: Dorian with a lowered 5th.
Tap any note to hear it.
E 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|-----------------------------0-2-3-| B|-------------------------2-3-------| G|-------------------0-2-3-----------| D|-------------0-2-4-----------------| A|-------0-1-4-----------------------| E|-0-2-3-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------2-3-5-6-| B|-------------------------3-5---------| G|-------------------2-3-6-------------| D|-------------2-4-5-------------------| A|---------4-5-------------------------| E|-2-3-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-6-| B|-----------------------5-7-8-----| G|-------------------6-7-----------| D|-----------4-5-7-8---------------| A|-----4-5-7-----------------------| E|-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------9-10-| B|---------------------------8-10-11------| G|--------------------7-9-11--------------| D|-------------7-8-11---------------------| A|------7-9-10----------------------------| E|-9-10-----------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------9-10-12-| B|----------------------------------10-11---------| G|--------------------------9-11-12---------------| D|--------------------11-12-----------------------| A|---------9-10-12-13-----------------------------| E|-9-10-12----------------------------------------|
How to play E Dorian b5 on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E 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 0–4. 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 | E |
| 2 | F# |
| ♭3 | G |
| 4 | A |
| ♭5 | Bb |
| 6 | C# |
| ♭7 | D |
Chords in E Dorian b5
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Dorian b5; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Edim | Em7b5 | Tonic |
| ii | F#m | F#m7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Gm | Gm(maj7) | Mediant |
| IV | A | A7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V+ | Bbaug | Bbmaj7#5 | Dominant |
| vi° | C#dim | C#dim7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | D | Dmaj7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
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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 E Dorian b5 Scale?
- The E Dorian b5 Scale has 7 notes: E, F#, G, A, Bb, C#, D.
- What chords are in the E Dorian b5 Scale?
- The chords of E Dorian b5 are Edim (i°), F#m (ii), Gm (♭iii), A (IV), Bbaug (♭V+), C#dim (vi°), D (♭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 E Dorian b5 on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.