A Dorian ♭2 Scale on Guitar — 2 Shapes to Play the Whole Neck
A Dorian ♭2 is a mode of the melodic minor (jazz minor) scale, a favorite in jazz and fusion improvisation — its notes are A Bb C D E F# G, from the formula 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7. This exact root/scale pairing computes to 2 repeating shapes on the neck.
A Dorian ♭2 Scale Notes
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 1 |
| 2 | Bb | b2 |
| 3 | C | b3 |
| 4 | D | 4 |
| 5 | E | 5 |
| 6 | F# | 6 |
| 7 | G | b7 |
A Dorian ♭2 Formula
Degree formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Half – Whole – Whole – Whole – Whole – Half – Whole
A Dorian ♭2 on the Guitar Fretboard
The notes of Dorian ♭2 repeat across the guitar fretboard in connected positions. Use the shape below to identify root notes, scale degrees, and neighboring shapes.
- Frets 2–12 (span 10 frets)
- Lowest note F#, highest note E
- 3 A root notes, on the E string (fret 5), D string (fret 7), B string (fret 10)
How to practice this shape
- Start on the root — A at fret 5 on the E string. Play up to the highest note in the shape, then back down, staying inside frets 2–12.
- Your hand shifts 5 times as you cross strings: E→A (+1), A→D (+1), D→G (+1), G→B (+2), B→E (+1). Those crossings — not the notes — are what this position is really asking you to learn.
- Once it feels automatic, move on to the next of the 2 shapes — together they cover the whole neck, and the same pattern repeats from there.
Diatonic chords
These are the 7 chords built from A Dorian ♭2's own notes — the ones that will sound like they belong when you're writing a progression, backing a melody, or jamming in this key. The Roman numeral shows each chord's role in the key: capital for major, lowercase for minor, ° for diminished, + for augmented. Not every scale produces a clean chord on every degree — where that happens, we show it honestly instead of forcing a name that doesn't fit.
A Dorian ♭2 Scale Relationships
- Parent scale: G Melodic Minor (Jazz, Ascending)
A Dorian ♭2 FAQ
A Dorian ♭2 contains the notes A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G.
A Dorian ♭2 is a mode of G Melodic Minor (Jazz, Ascending).
A Dorian ♭2 has a flatted 3rd degree, giving it a minor character. It's derived from G Melodic Minor (Jazz, Ascending).
The diatonic chords in A Dorian ♭2 are Am, Bbaug, C, D, Edim, F#dim, Gm.