Guitar scale · harmonic & melodic
F Dorian b5 Scale
Mode 2 of Harmonic Major: Dorian with a lowered 5th.
Tap any note to hear it.
F 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|-----------------------------1-3-4-| B|-------------------------3-4-------| G|-------------------1-3-4-----------| D|-------------1-3-5-----------------| A|-------1-2-5-----------------------| E|-1-3-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------3-4-6-7-| B|-------------------------4-6---------| G|-------------------3-4-7-------------| D|-------------3-5-6-------------------| A|---------5-6-------------------------| E|-3-4-6-7-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------6-7-| B|-----------------------6-8-9-----| G|-------------------7-8-----------| D|-----------5-6-8-9---------------| A|-----5-6-8-----------------------| E|-6-7-----------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------10-11-| B|------------------------------9-11-12-------| G|----------------------8-10-12---------------| D|---------------8-9-12-----------------------| A|-------8-10-11------------------------------| E|-10-11--------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-12----------| G|----------------------------10-12-13----------------| D|----------------------12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-11-13-14-------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-------------------------------------------|
How to play F Dorian b5 on guitar
Find the root first: F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F 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 1–5. 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 | F |
| 2 | G |
| ♭3 | Ab |
| 4 | Bb |
| ♭5 | Cb |
| 6 | D |
| ♭7 | Eb |
Chords in F Dorian b5
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F Dorian b5; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i° | Fdim | Fm7b5 | Tonic |
| ii | Gm | Gm7 | Supertonic |
| ♭iii | Abm | Abm(maj7) | Mediant |
| IV | Bb | Bb7 | Subdominant |
| ♭V+ | Cbaug | Cbmaj7#5 | Dominant |
| vi° | Ddim | Ddim7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | Eb | Ebmaj7 | 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 F Dorian b5 Scale?
- The F Dorian b5 Scale has 7 notes: F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, D, Eb.
- What chords are in the F Dorian b5 Scale?
- The chords of F Dorian b5 are Fdim (i°), Gm (ii), Abm (♭iii), Bb (IV), Cbaug (♭V+), Ddim (vi°), Eb (♭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 F Dorian b5 on the guitar?
- The root F is at fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 1–5, and four more positions connect it up the neck.