Eb Dorian Scale on Piano

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

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

Interval Circle

WHWWWHWC6Dbb7DEb1EF2Gbb3GAb4ABb5B

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)

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

Left Hand (ascending)

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

Why this fingering

5 black keys (Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Db) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto F and C; 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 Eb Dorian

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
EbEb4Root (1)32
FF4Major 2nd (2)11
GbGb4Minor 3rd (b3)24
AbAb4Perfect 4th (4)33
BbBb4Perfect 5th (5)42
CC5Major 6th (6)11
DbDb5Minor 7th (b7)23
EbEb5Octave (8)32

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

Other Eb Scales

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