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Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic

Eb Dorian b5 Scale

Mode 2 of Harmonic Major: Dorian with a lowered 5th.

Notes EbFGbAbACDb
Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 6 ♭7
Steps W H W H W+H H W
Mood Dark, Tense, Unusual
Heard in Modal Improvisation, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

Eb Dorian b5 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.

Eb 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.

Position 1 · E shape frets 11–15 
e|-------------------------------------------11-13-14-|
B|-------------------------------------13-14----------|
G|----------------------------11-13-14----------------|
D|-------------------11-13-15-------------------------|
A|----------11-12-15----------------------------------|
E|-11-13-14-------------------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 13–17 
e|-------------------------------------------13-14-16-17-|
B|-------------------------------------14-16-------------|
G|----------------------------13-14-17-------------------|
D|-------------------13-15-16----------------------------|
A|-------------15-16-------------------------------------|
E|-13-14-16-17-------------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 15–19 
e|-------------------------------------------16-17-|
B|----------------------------------16-18-19-------|
G|----------------------------17-18----------------|
D|----------------15-16-18-19----------------------|
A|-------15-16-18----------------------------------|
E|-16-17-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 18–22 
e|-------------------------------------------20-21-|
B|----------------------------------19-21-22-------|
G|-------------------------18-20-22----------------|
D|----------------18-19-22-------------------------|
A|-------18-20-21----------------------------------|
E|-20-21-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 20–22 
e|----------------------------20-21-|
B|----------------------21-22-------|
G|----------------20-22-------------|
D|-------------22-------------------|
A|-------20-21----------------------|
E|-20-21----------------------------|

How to play Eb Dorian b5 on guitar

Find the root first: Eb is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every Eb 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 11–15. 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.

Eb Dorian b5 is also written D# Dorian b5: D# E# F# G# A B# C#. The frets are the same; under that name every note keeps its own letter, with no double sharps or flats.

Degrees

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

Chords in Eb Dorian b5

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in Eb Dorian b5; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
i° Ebdim Ebm7b5 Tonic
ii Fm Fm7 Supertonic
♭iii Gbm Gbm(maj7) Mediant
IV Ab Ab7 Subdominant
♭V+ Aaug Amaj7#5 Dominant
vi° Cdim Cdim7 Submediant
♭VII Db Dbmaj7 Leading tone / subtonic

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Questions

What notes are in the Eb Dorian b5 Scale?
The Eb Dorian b5 Scale has 7 notes: Eb, F, Gb, Ab, A, C, Db.
What chords are in the Eb Dorian b5 Scale?
The chords of Eb Dorian b5 are Ebdim (i°), Fm (ii), Gbm (♭iii), Ab (IV), Aaug (♭V+), Cdim (vi°), Db (♭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 Eb Dorian b5 on the guitar?
The root Eb is at fret 11 on the low E string and fret 6 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 11–15, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Dorian b5 Scale in every key

C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B

More scales in Eb

Eb Major Eb Minor Eb Minor Pentatonic Eb Major Pentatonic Eb Blues Eb Major Blues Eb Dorian Eb Phrygian Eb Lydian Eb Mixolydian Eb Locrian Eb Harmonic Minor Eb Phrygian Dominant Eb Melodic Minor Eb Lydian Dominant Eb Lydian Augmented Eb Altered Eb Whole Tone Eb Half-Whole Diminished Eb Whole-Half Diminished Eb Bebop Dominant Eb Hungarian Minor Eb Dorian b2 Eb Mixolydian b6 Eb Locrian Natural 2 Eb Locrian Natural 6 Eb Ionian #5 Eb Ukrainian Dorian Eb Lydian #2 Eb Ultralocrian Eb Harmonic Major Eb Lydian b3 Eb Double Harmonic Major Eb Oriental Eb Neapolitan Minor Eb Neapolitan Major Eb Augmented Eb Bebop Major Eb Bebop Dorian Eb Yo Eb Hirajoshi Eb In Eb In Sen Eb Iwato Eb Phrygian b4 Eb Mixolydian b2 Eb Lydian Augmented #2 Eb Locrian bb7 Eb Lydian #2 #6 Eb Ultraphrygian Eb Ionian Augmented #2 Eb Locrian bb3 bb7 Eb Leading Whole Tone Eb Major Locrian Eb Lydian Dominant b6 Eb Hungarian Major Eb Persian Eb Enigmatic Eb Prometheus Eb Tritone Eb Bebop Melodic Minor Eb Bebop Harmonic Minor Eb Egyptian Pentatonic Eb Man Gong