Scales · Dorian Key of C

C Dorian Scale on guitar · notes, intervals & diagram

The C Dorian scale contains the notes C, D, D♯, F, G, A, A♯. Minor with a major 6th — darker than major, warmer than natural minor. Sophisticated, hopeful-melancholy.

Standard tuning · 15 frets

Open in interactive tool →
EADGBE 35791215 F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G A A♯ C D F G A A♯ C D D♯ F G Root Scale note

Notes & intervals.

# Degree Note
1 1 C root
2 2 D
3 b3 D♯
4 4 F
5 5 G
6 6 A
7 b7 A♯

Sound & use

Minor with a major 6th — darker than major, warmer than natural minor. Sophisticated, hopeful-melancholy.

Jazz solos over minor 7 chords, modal folk (Scarborough Fair), funk grooves and prog rock.

Common in: jazz, funk, folk, prog

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Scale generator →

Other scales

Other scales in the key of C.

Scale

C Major

Bright, resolved, optimistic — the default sound of Western pop, folk and most children's music.

Scale

C Natural Minor

Melancholy, introspective, serious — but not desperately sad. The classic "minor key" sound.

Scale

C Major Pentatonic

The major scale with the 4 and 7 removed — five notes that "always work" over a major chord. Sweet, melodic, never dissonant.

Scale

C Minor Pentatonic

The scale that built rock and blues. Bluesy, plaintive, and easy to play in five connected positions across the neck.

Scale

C Blues

Minor pentatonic plus the "blue note" (b5). Gritty, vocal, instantly recognisable as the blues.

Scale

C Phrygian

Minor with a flat 2nd — exotic, Spanish, slightly menacing. The b2 is the defining sound.

Scale

C Lydian

Major with a raised 4th — dreamy, suspended, otherworldly. The sound of film-score wonder.

Scale

C Mixolydian

Major with a flat 7th — bright but bluesy. The "rock major scale".

Scale

C Locrian

The "weird one" — minor with both a flat 2nd and a flat 5th. Restless, dissonant, hard to resolve.

Scale

C Harmonic Minor

Natural minor with a raised 7th — creates the dramatic 1.5-step gap between b6 and 7. Classical, neo-classical, Middle-Eastern flavours.

Scale

C Melodic Minor

Minor scale with a major 6th and 7th going up (jazz/ascending form). Sophisticated, slippery, modern.

Scale

C Phrygian Dominant

Phrygian with a major 3rd — the iconic flamenco/Middle-Eastern sound. Major flavour, minor tension.

Scale

C Hungarian Minor

Two augmented seconds (between b3–#4 and b6–7) give this scale its distinctive Eastern European / Romani drama.

Scale

C Whole Tone

Six equally-spaced notes, no semitones — the symmetrical "dreamlike" scale. No clear tonic; ambiguous and weightless.

Scale

C Hirajoshi

Traditional Japanese pentatonic — austere, contemplative, instantly evocative of koto music.

All keys

Dorian scale in every key.

FAQ

About the C Dorian scale
on guitar.

What notes are in the C Dorian scale?

The C Dorian scale contains the notes C, D, D♯, F, G, A, A♯. The intervals from the root are 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7.

Where does the C Dorian scale come from?

It's the Dorian scale rooted on C. Minor with a major 6th — darker than major, warmer than natural minor. Sophisticated, hopeful-melancholy. Jazz solos over minor 7 chords, modal folk (Scarborough Fair), funk grooves and prog rock.

How do I practise the C Dorian scale on guitar?

Start with the diagram on this page — find the root notes (the orange dots) and play through the pattern slowly, alternating picking. Once the shape is in your hands, set a metronome at around 60 BPM and play it ascending and descending in eighth-notes. Use the free metronome to keep yourself honest.

Which genres use the C Dorian scale?

The Dorian scale is found across jazz, funk, folk, prog. The character of the key — C — affects how it feels rather than how it works: a C Dorian solo has the same intervals and the same emotional shape as any other Dorian solo, just transposed.

Can I print the C Dorian fretboard diagram?

Yes. Use your browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl + P) — the diagram on this page is a vector SVG that prints crisply at any size. Or use the interactive scale generator to export the same diagram as a standalone SVG or PNG file.