A♭ Dorian scale

6 flats: A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ G♭ · pattern W–H–W–W–W–H–W

A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭

Step patternWHWWWHW

Chords in A♭ Dorian

iA♭m

iiB♭m

IIIC♭

IVD♭

vE♭m

vi°Fdim

VIIG♭

Scale degrees

Degree	Note	Name	Half steps from A♭
1	A♭	Tonic	0
2	B♭	Supertonic	2
3	C♭	Mediant	3
4	D♭	Subdominant	5
5	E♭	Dominant	7
6	F	Submediant	9
7	G♭	Subtonic	10

About this scale

Dorian is natural minor with a raised 6th (F), which gives it a brighter, hopeful minor sound heard in funk, jazz and songs like “Scarborough Fair”. It’s the 2nd mode of F♯ major.

Seventh chords in A♭ Dorian scale

i7 A♭m7ii7 B♭m7IIImaj7 C♭maj7IV7 D♭7v7 E♭m7viø7 Fm7♭5VIImaj7 G♭maj7

Other A♭ scales

A♭ major A♭ natural minor A♭ harmonic minor A♭ melodic minor A♭ major pentatonic A♭ minor pentatonic A♭ blues A♭ Mixolydian

Dorian scale in other keys

C C♯D E♭E F F♯G A B♭B

Questions

What are the notes of the A♭ Dorian scale?

A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, and back to A♭.

How many sharps or flats are in A♭ Dorian scale?

6: A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, G♭.

What is the step pattern of the Dorian scale?

W–H–W–W–W–H–W, where W is a whole step (two keys) and H is a half step (the next key). Start that pattern on A♭ to get this scale.