JamEaseA Dorian Mode – Guitar
A minor scale with a raised 6th: the jazzy, funky minor sound of Santana and 'Oye Como Va'. Here it is in A: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.
Notes in the A dorian mode
- A1
- B2
- Cb3
- D4
- E5
- F♯6
- Gb7
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – b7. Use it to solo over songs in A minor, and over A blues and rock progressions.
A dorian mode on the whole neck
Know the scale?
Now solo with it.
A guitar soloing course: 81 short lessons, each one ends with you jamming over a real backing track.
- From 3 notes to your own solos
- Every note on the neck, with sound and TAB
- 379 backing tracks in every key
The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB
Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.
Box 1 · frets 4–9
e|-----------------------------------5-7-8-| B|-----------------------------5-7-8-------| G|---------------------4-5-7-9-------------| D|-------------4-5-7-9---------------------| A|-------5-7-9-----------------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------------|
Box 2 · frets 6–11
e|----------------------------------------------7--8--10-| B|-------------------------------------7--8--10----------| G|----------------------------7--9--11-------------------| D|-------------------7--9--10----------------------------| A|----------7--9--10-------------------------------------| E|-7--8--10----------------------------------------------|
Box 3 · frets 8–14
e|-------------------------------------------------------------8--10-12-14-| B|-------------------------------------------------8--10-12-13-------------| G|-------------------------------------9--11-12-14-------------------------| D|-------------------------9--10-12-14-------------------------------------| A|-------------9--10-12-14-------------------------------------------------| E|-8--10-12-14-------------------------------------------------------------|
Box 4 · frets 11–16
e|-------------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|----------------------------------------12-13-15----------| G|----------------------------11-12-14-16-------------------| D|-------------------12-14-16-------------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------------|
Box 5 · frets 1–6
e|-------------------------------2-3-5-| B|-------------------------1-3-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-5-------------| D|-------------2-4-5-------------------| A|-------2-3-5-------------------------| E|-2-3-5-------------------------------|
3 A minor licks to play with it
Box 1 licks from the JamEase lick library, written for A minor (h = hammer-on, p = pull-off, / = slide, b = bend, ~ = vibrato).
Repeat with a twist
Say a little idea twice. The second time, change the ending.
e|-----------------| B|-----5-------5-8-| G|-5-7---7-5-7-----| D|-----------------| A|-----------------| E|-----------------|
Pull-off ladder
Two notes a string, pulling off, all the way down to the home note.
e|-8p-5-----------------| B|-------8p-5-----------| G|-------------7p-5-----| D|-------------------7--| A|----------------------| E|----------------------|
Bend, hold, fall
Bend up, hold it, let it fall back, and walk down to the root.
e|---------------------| B|-8br-5---------------| G|---------7---5-------| D|-----------------7~--| A|---------------------| E|---------------------|
A minor backing track
Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.
A Minor Blues Backing Track - Best Backing Jam Tracks - Slow Minor Blues 80 BPM A Minor Pentatonic – Backing Jam Tracks
Songs in A minor
These songs are in A minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:
- House Of The Rising Sun – The Animals
- Hurt – Johnny Cash
- Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra
- Stay With Me – Sam Smith
- I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
- Skinny Love – Bon Iver
- Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
- Aint No Sunshine – Bill Withers
- Fall For You – Secondhand Serenade
- Happier – Ed Sheeran
- Mr Jones – Counting Crows
- Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry
Other scales in A
- A Minor Pentatonic Scale
- A Major Pentatonic Scale
- A Blues Scale
- A Major Blues Scale
- A Major Scale
- A Natural Minor Scale
- A Mixolydian Mode
- A Phrygian Mode
- A Lydian Mode
- A Harmonic Minor Scale
- A Melodic Minor Scale
Dorian Mode in other keys
- C Dorian Mode
- C♯ Dorian Mode
- D Dorian Mode
- E♭ Dorian Mode
- E Dorian Mode
- F Dorian Mode
- F♯ Dorian Mode
- G Dorian Mode
- G♯ Dorian Mode
- B♭ Dorian Mode
- B Dorian Mode
Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.
FAQ
What notes are in the A dorian mode?
A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. The formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7.
Where do I start playing the A dorian mode on guitar?
Start with Box 1, frets 4–9. The root note A is on the low E string at fret 5.