The 3 Steps To Thinking In Dorian

Step 1: Separate Key

The first thing to do is to start considering Dorian as a separate key, just like you would any minor key. For example, we don't think G major when asked to play in E minor, even though E minor is the 6th degree of G major. So, why would we, therefore, think G major when playing A Dorian. Yes, this is the basic theory (which you can find all about here), but when it comes to playing practically on the guitar, this doesn't help!

Step 2: Minor Mode

Dorian is a minor mode, simple. So when it comes to playing it on the guitar, to get the most from the mode, we need to compare it to the natural minor. Here are the two scales side by side:

A Minor: A B C D E F G A

A Dorian: A B C D E F# G A

As you can see, there is only one note difference between the two. This is the 6th note. In the natural minor it is flattened and in the Dorian, it is a natural 6th. This is, therefore, the note we should be targeting to really pull out the essence of that Dorian sound.

Step 3: Dorian Box

To get this nice and clear on the guitar, we will take one position, based around the Pentatonic box one in A Minor. Below you can see three scale shapes and how they relate to each other. The Pentatonic first, then the A minor, then the A Dorian. Learn this Dorian shape and you'll be away!

This content is unavailable on mobile devices, please view through a desktop or laptop browser for the optimum experience.

A Dorian

Want to take your learning further?

Keep Learning: Modal Theory Many thanks for watching this video and visiting the website. If you want to learn more about the theory behind the Dorian and all of the other modes, please check out this Theory Lab course: The modes (Part 1)..

Get the downloads

If you would like the downloads for this lesson, and to get access to our private folder with all the downloads for evey single YouTube lesson, simply fill out your details below. We'll send all the details straight to your email.