A flat Dorian scale on cavaquinho
The A flat Dorian scale has 7 notes: A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ (A flat, B flat, C flat, D flat, E flat, F, and G flat).
- A♭ A flat 1
- B♭ B flat 2
- C♭ C flat ♭3
- D♭ D flat 4
- E♭ E flat 5
- F 6
- G♭ G flat ♭7
Whole neck: every note of the scale up to fret 17. The root (A♭) is highlighted.
Positions as text
Position 6 (frets 3 to 7), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 3 (F), 4 (G♭), 6 (A♭)
- string 3: 3 (B♭), 4 (C♭), 6 (D♭)
- string 2: 4 (E♭), 6 (F), 7 (G♭)
- string 1: 6 (A♭)
Position 7 (frets 4 to 8), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 4 (G♭), 6 (A♭), 8 (B♭)
- string 3: 4 (C♭), 6 (D♭), 8 (E♭)
- string 2: 6 (F), 7 (G♭)
- string 1: 6 (A♭), 8 (B♭)
Position 1 (frets 6 to 10), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 6 (A♭), 8 (B♭), 9 (C♭)
- string 3: 6 (D♭), 8 (E♭), 10 (F)
- string 2: 7 (G♭), 9 (A♭)
- string 1: 8 (B♭), 9 (C♭)
Position 2 (frets 8 to 12), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 8 (B♭), 9 (C♭), 11 (D♭)
- string 3: 8 (E♭), 10 (F), 11 (G♭)
- string 2: 9 (A♭), 11 (B♭), 12 (C♭)
- string 1: 11 (D♭)
Position 3 (frets 9 to 13), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 9 (C♭), 11 (D♭), 13 (E♭)
- string 3: 10 (F), 11 (G♭), 13 (A♭)
- string 2: 11 (B♭), 12 (C♭)
- string 1: 11 (D♭), 13 (E♭)
Position 4 (frets 11 to 15), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 11 (D♭), 13 (E♭), 15 (F)
- string 3: 11 (G♭), 13 (A♭), 15 (B♭)
- string 2: 12 (C♭), 14 (D♭)
- string 1: 13 (E♭), 15 (F)
Position 5 (frets 13 to 16), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 13 (E♭), 15 (F), 16 (G♭)
- string 3: 13 (A♭), 15 (B♭), 16 (C♭)
- string 2: 14 (D♭), 16 (E♭)
- string 1: 15 (F), 16 (G♭)
Fretboard positions
Each position fits within 5 frets, with 2 to 3 notes per string, and starts on a scale note on the lowest string. Position 1 starts on the root (A flat).
On the cavaquinho the strings sit close together in pitch, and the 3-notes-per-string shape from the guitar would turn into a 7-fret stretch. That is why each position here fits within 5 frets.
Use Degrees to see the role of each note (1 is the root) and Listen to hear the selected position going up and down.
Formula
- A♭
- W
- B♭
- H
- C♭
- W
- D♭
- W
- E♭
- W
- F
- H
- G♭
- W
- A♭
Degrees: 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7. Steps: W – H – W – W – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step).
About the Dorian scale
A minor mode with a major 6th. A "groovy" minor sound, common in funk, jazz and rock (Santana).
Harmonized scale (chords in the key)
The chords that come from the scale, stacking thirds from each note.
Scales with the same notes
More A flat scales
- Major
- Natural minor (G♯)
- Harmonic minor
- Melodic minor
- Major pentatonic
- Minor pentatonic (G♯)
- Blues (G♯)
- Major blues
- Dorian
- Phrygian (G♯)
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Locrian (G♯)
- Nordestina (Brazilian baião)
- Phrygian dominant (G♯)
- Whole-tone
- Diminished (whole-half) (G♯)
- Dominant diminished (half-whole)
Dorian in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the A flat Dorian scale?
The notes of the A flat Dorian scale are A flat, B flat, C flat, D flat, E flat, F, and G flat. The root, degree 1, is A flat.
What is the formula of the A flat Dorian scale?
In degrees: 1 · 2 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7. In steps between the notes: W – H – W – W – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step).
How do you play the A flat Dorian scale on cavaquinho?
Each position fits within 5 frets, with 2 to 3 notes per string, and starts on a scale note on the lowest string. Position 1 starts on the root (A flat). There are 7 positions on cavaquinho, each with the full fingering.
Which chords belong to the A flat Dorian scale?
The chords of the harmonized scale are: A♭m, B♭m, C♭, D♭, E♭m, F°, G♭.