Bb Dorian Scale on Piano

The Bb Dorian scale sounds cool and open. It runs Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab and is written with four flats.

It shares its key signature with Db major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

WHWWWHWC2Dbb3DEb4EF5GbG6Abb7ABb1B

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

A minor scale with a raised 6th, which lifts it out of the gloom of natural minor without turning it major. Modal jazz, funk and a great deal of English folk song live here.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4

Left Hand (ascending)

2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2

Why this fingering

4 black keys (Bb, Db, Eb, Ab) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto C and F; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in Bb Dorian

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
BbBb4Root (1)42
CC5Major 2nd (2)11
DbDb5Minor 3rd (b3)24
EbEb5Perfect 4th (4)33
FF5Perfect 5th (5)12
GG5Major 6th (6)21
AbAb5Minor 7th (b7)33
BbBb5Octave (8)42

Other Dorian Scales

C Dorian
C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
C# Dorian
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
D Dorian
D – E – F – G – A – B – C
Eb Dorian
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db
E Dorian
E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
F Dorian
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
F# Dorian
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E
G Dorian
G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
G# Dorian
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
A Dorian
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
B Dorian
B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A

Other Bb Scales

Bb Major
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A
Bb Natural Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab
Bb Harmonic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A
Bb Melodic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – A
Bb Major Pentatonic
Bb – C – D – F – G
Bb Minor Pentatonic
Bb – Db – Eb – F – Ab
Bb Blues
Bb – Db – Eb – E – F – Ab
Bb Mixolydian
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab
Bb Chromatic
Bb – B – C – Db – D – Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A