Modes of the Major Scale - Page 3

by Christopher Sung D Dorian
A Dorian scale is when you play from the 2nd degree of the major scale to an octave above, so for D Dorian, the notes are:

• D · E · F · G · A · B · C · D

Each mode has an associated chord that is comprised of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th degrees of the mode. For D Dorian, this chord is a D Minor 7 and the notes it contains are:

• D Minor 7: D · F · A · C

In the example below, the following can be heard in order:

• The notes of the mode D Dorian
• The notes of the characteristic chord: D Minor 7
• The characteristic chord itself: D Minor 7
• A sample solo line using the notes of the D Dorian scale