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B♭ 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 B♭: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the B♭ dorian mode

Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – b7. Use it to solo over songs in B♭ minor, and over B♭ blues and rock progressions.

B♭ dorian mode on the whole neck

EADGBe123456789101112131415FGAbCDbEbFGCDbEbFGAbCEbFGAbCDbEbFGAbCDbEbFGAbCDbEbFGAbCDbFGAbCDbEbFG
Bb Dorian Mode on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (Bb).
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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 5–10

EADGBe5678910CDbEbFGGAbCCDbEbFFGAbCDb
Bb Dorian Mode, box 1
e|----------------------------------------------------6--8--9--|
B|-------------------------------------------6--8--9-----------|
G|-------------------------------5--6--8--10-------------------|
D|-------------------5--6--8--10-------------------------------|
A|----------6--8--10-------------------------------------------|
E|-6--8--9-----------------------------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 7–12

EADGBe789101112CDbEbFGAbCDbEbFGGAbCDbEb
Bb Dorian Mode, box 2
e|----------------------------------------------8--9--11-|
B|-------------------------------------8--9--11----------|
G|----------------------------8--10-12-------------------|
D|-------------------8--10-11----------------------------|
A|----------8--10-11-------------------------------------|
E|-8--9--11----------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 9–15

EADGBe9101112131415DbEbFGGAbCCDbEbFFGAbAbCDbDbEbFG
Bb Dorian Mode, box 3
e|-------------------------------------------------------------9--11-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------------------9--11-13-14-------------|
G|-------------------------------------10-12-13-15-------------------------|
D|-------------------------10-11-13-15-------------------------------------|
A|-------------10-11-13-15-------------------------------------------------|
E|-9--11-13-15-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 1–5

EADGBe12345FGAbCDbEbFGGAbCCDbEbFGAb
Bb Dorian Mode, box 4
e|-------------------------------1-3-4-|
B|-------------------------1-2-4-------|
G|-------------------1-3-5-------------|
D|-------------1-3-5-------------------|
A|-------1-3-4-------------------------|
E|-1-3-4-------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 2–7

EADGBe234567GAbCDbEbFGAbCDbDbEbFGAb
Bb Dorian Mode, box 5
e|-------------------------------3-4-6-|
B|-------------------------2-4-6-------|
G|-------------------3-5-6-------------|
D|-------------3-5-6-------------------|
A|-------3-4-6-------------------------|
E|-3-4-6-------------------------------|

3 B♭ minor licks to play with it

Box 1 licks from the JamEase lick library, written for B♭ minor (h = hammer-on, p = pull-off, / = slide, b = bend, ~ = vibrato).

Don't come home yet

Picking · Rock

Down the box, and stop on the 5th: not home yet. Follow it with a phrase that lands on the root.

e|-----------------|
B|-6-9-6-----------|
G|-------8-6-------|
D|-----------8-6---|
A|---------------8-|
E|-----------------|

Ask and answer

Hammer-on · Pull-off · Blues

A short question, a rest, then the answer. Leave the space.

e|-------------------|
B|-------6-----------|
G|-6h-8-----8p-6-----|
D|----------------8--|
A|-------------------|
E|-------------------|

Question and answer

Slide · Bend · Vibrato · Blues

A question that stops on the 4th, a breath, then an answer with a bend that lands on the high root.

e|-------------------------------6~-|
B|-------6--9--6-----------6--9-----|
G|-6/-8-----------8--8b-8-----------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|

B♭ minor backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Minor Blues backing Track in A# Minor | Soul Blues – Fret Junkies

Songs in B♭ minor

These songs are in B♭ minor, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

All songs in B♭ minor →

Other scales in B♭

Dorian Mode in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.

Learn to solo

FAQ

What notes are in the Bb dorian mode?

Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab. The formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7.

Where do I start playing the Bb dorian mode on guitar?

Start with Box 1, frets 5–10. The root note Bb is on the low E string at fret 6.