E Dorian mode
E Dorian mode is E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯ – D, with F♯ and C♯. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
Notes and steps
The step pattern is W H W W W H W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F♯–G and C♯–D.
| Degree | Note | Interval from E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | root | |
| 2 | F♯ | major second | |
| ♭3 | G | minor third | |
| 4 | A | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | B | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | C♯ | major sixth | |
| ♭7 | D | minor seventh |
The sound of E Dorian mode
Dorian is a minor mode with a raised 6th. That one bright note (C♯) takes the sadness out of minor and gives the funky, soulful sound of a lot of rock, funk and modal jazz.
Play Em and A back and forth and improvise with these notes; that major A is what separates Dorian from plain minor.
Compared with E natural minor scale, E Dorian mode has C♯ where the other has C; the other six notes are shared. Hear E natural minor scale and compare.
E Dorian mode uses the same seven notes as D major, starting from E instead of D. Same notes, different home note: what makes it Dorian is playing it over a E bass or chord.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: two black (F♯ and C♯), five white.
18 notes fit in the box between frets 0 and 5, with E open on the low E string.
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 E Dorian mode; the ones that differ from the D major set are what give the mode its color. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C♯ Locrian (starting on the 6th note, C♯), D major (starting on the 7th note, D), F♯ Phrygian (starting on the 2nd note, F♯), G Lydian (starting on the 3rd note, G), A Mixolydian (starting on the 4th note, A) and B natural minor (starting on the 5th note, B). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
E Dorian mode across the fretboard
The root, E, sits at frets 0 and 12 on the low E string and 7 on the A string (0 = open). Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 2, 5, 7, 9 and 12) and you'll have it everywhere. Over a minor chord, play natural minor first, then raise the 6th to hear Dorian lift the sound.
On the piano, E Dorian mode uses 2 black keys (F♯ and C♯) and 5 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C♯, B–D, C♯–E, D–F♯.
Three ways to practise E Dorian
Once E Dorian is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 7 notes.
- Three-note runs: E F♯ G · F♯ G A · G A B · A B C♯ · B C♯ D · C♯ D E.
- Lean on C♯: E C♯ E C♯ E: the natural 6th lifts it above natural minor.
Try next, from E
Dorian mode in every key
E Dorian mode: questions
What are the notes of the E Dorian mode?
E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and D, then E again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the E Dorian mode?
Two: F♯ and C♯.
What chords are in the E Dorian mode?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Em (i), F♯m (ii), G (III), A (IV), Bm (v), C♯dim (vi°) and D (VII).
What's the difference between E Dorian mode and E natural minor scale?
C♯ in E Dorian; C in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as E Dorian mode?
D major. E Dorian is D major played from its 2nd note, E.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.