C♯ Dorian mode (D♭ Dorian)
C♯ Dorian mode is C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B, with C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
The notes, one step at a time
From C♯ upward the gaps are W H W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between D♯–E and A♯–B.
| Degree | Note | Interval from C♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | |
| 2 | D♯ | major second | |
| ♭3 | E | minor third | |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | A♯ | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | B | minor seventh |
The sound of C♯ Dorian mode
Compared with C♯ natural minor, C♯ Dorian raises one note: the 6th, to A♯. That's the note to lean on if you want the mode to sound like itself.
The Dorian vamp is C♯m to F♯: a minor chord going to a major IV, which only happens because of the raised 6th (A♯).
Compared with C♯ natural minor scale, C♯ Dorian mode has A♯ where the other has A; the other six notes are shared. Hear C♯ natural minor scale and compare.
C♯ Dorian mode uses the same seven notes as B major, starting from C♯ instead of B. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Dorian is playing it over a C♯ bass or chord.
Where your hands go
C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯ are on black keys; the rest are white.
On guitar the root sits at the 9th fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 7–13 and holds 17 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords that fit C♯ Dorian mode; the ones that differ from the B major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
If you know C♯ Dorian mode, you already know the notes of D♯ Phrygian (starting on the 2nd note, D♯), E Lydian (starting on the 3rd note, E), F♯ Mixolydian (starting on the 4th note, F♯), G♯ natural minor (starting on the 5th note, G♯), A♯ Locrian (starting on the 6th note, A♯) and B major (starting on the 7th note, B).
Moving it around the guitar
Find C♯ first: fret 9 of the 6th string, fret 4 of the 5th. Most guitarists learn it in five overlapping positions; on the low E string they begin around frets 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11. Over a minor chord, play natural minor first, then raise the 6th to hear Dorian lift the sound.
On the piano, C♯ Dorian mode uses 5 black keys (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯) and 2 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: C♯–E, D♯–F♯, E–G♯, F♯–A♯, G♯–B, A♯–C♯, B–D♯.
Three ways to practise C♯ Dorian
Running a scale straight up and down only teaches the order. These patterns use the same 7 notes and train your ear and fingers to jump around inside C♯ Dorian mode.
- Up in threes: C♯ D♯ E · D♯ E F♯ · E F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A♯ · G♯ A♯ B · A♯ B C♯.
- Lean on A♯: C♯ A♯ C♯ A♯ C♯: the natural 6th lifts it above natural minor.
Try next, from C♯
Dorian mode in every key
C♯ Dorian mode: questions
What are the notes of the C♯ Dorian mode?
7 notes: C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯ and B.
How many sharps or flats are in the C♯ Dorian mode?
Five: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯.
What chords are in the C♯ Dorian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives C♯m (i), D♯m (ii), E (III), F♯ (IV), G♯m (v), A♯dim (vi°) and B (VII).
What's the difference between C♯ Dorian mode and C♯ natural minor scale?
A♯ in C♯ Dorian; A in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as C♯ Dorian mode?
B major. C♯ Dorian is B major played from its 2nd note, C♯.
Generated from the step pattern 2-1-2-2-2-1-2 and checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.