The Dorian Mode introduces two very cool notes that we can add to our minor pentatonic scales to get some hip sounds.

Don't worry too much about all the Greek (the Modal names, like Dorian) there is no real need for you to understand all that if you just want to play the blues! For those that are interested - The Dorian Mode is the second mode of the Major Scale. So the Dorian Mode is in fact a Major Scale but has the tonal centre on the second degree of the scale. In this case we are looking at the A Dorian Mode, and the Parent Major Scale (PMS) is G Major. So G Major and A Dorian Mode have the same notes! Enough about that... more on Modes coming soon.

So when we look at the notes in the A Dorian Mode (A B C D E F# G) and the A Minor Pentatonic (A C D E G) we see that the Dorian Mode has two extra notes B and F#. In The key of A, The note B is the 9th (can also be called the 2nd) and the F# is the 6th (can also be called te 13th). Both these notes sound very cool in the blues.

If you want to understand the theory behind the Modes - check out the Theory book in my Recommended section!

Check out the video first this time and check out the way to use them - Just think of the Dorian notes as being extras that you can add to the Minor Pentatonic and you should be able to get using them pretty soon. You will start in the next lesson when we get into playing licks!

Video Lesson

Go Play Along Video and TAB lesson

Position 1 - (E shape from CAGED system)

Position 2 - (D shape from CAGED system)

Position 3 - (C shape from CAGED system)

Position 4 - (A shape from CAGED system)

Position 5 - (G shape from CAGED system)

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