D Dorian scale
No sharps or flats — all white keys · pattern W–H–W–W–W–H–W
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Half steps from D |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Tonic | 0 |
| 2 | E | Supertonic | 2 |
| 3 | F | Mediant | 3 |
| 4 | G | Subdominant | 5 |
| 5 | A | Dominant | 7 |
| 6 | B | Submediant | 9 |
| 7 | C | Subtonic | 10 |
About this scale
Dorian is natural minor with a raised 6th (B), which gives it a brighter, hopeful minor sound heard in funk, jazz and songs like “Scarborough Fair”. It’s the 2nd mode of B♯ major.
Seventh chords in D Dorian scale
i7 Dm7ii7 Em7IIImaj7 Fmaj7IV7 G7v7 Am7viø7 Bm7♭5VIImaj7 Cmaj7
Other D scales
D majorD natural minorD harmonic minorD melodic minorD major pentatonicD minor pentatonicD bluesD Mixolydian
Dorian scale in other keys
Questions
What are the notes of the D Dorian scale?
D, E, F, G, A, B, C, and back to D.
How many sharps or flats are in D Dorian scale?
None — it uses only natural notes (the white keys).
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 D to get this scale.