How to Compose With the Dorian Mode: Brave, Epic Chord Progressions

The Dorian mode is a natural minor scale with a raised sixth, and its chords (i, ii, bIII, IV, v, vi diminished, bVII) give a brave, epic sound, especially the i minor to IV major movement, which is not found in natural or harmonic minor.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 34 min

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This lesson by Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows how to compose with the Dorian mode, one of his favourite scales. It is for pianists, songwriters and producers who know basic major and minor chords and want a sound that is neither plainly happy nor plainly sad. Jason uses his own riffs to show how Dorian works in rock, fusion, funk, jazz, RnB and blues.

What the Dorian mode is

Compared with the major scale, Dorian has a flat third and a flat seventh, while the sixth stays natural. Compared with the natural minor, you simply raise the sixth. D Dorian is D E F G A B C, so every B stays B natural.

Jason hears Dorian as a brave scale: a weaker force standing up to a stronger one, a one-to-many message, an us-against-the-system mood. He points to songs like Earth Song by Michael Jackson and Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. Used in an atmospheric, textural way, it can also sound mystical, like discovering a new world. Rhythm shapes which mood you get.

The chords of Dorian

Harmonising D Dorian gives:

• i minor: Dm
• ii minor: Em
• bIII major: F
• IV major: G
• v minor: Am
• vi diminished: Bdim (rarely used)
• bVII major: C

The major chords are IV, bIII and bVII. The IV major is the key: Dorian is the only common minor-sounding scale with it apart from melodic minor, and the IV to i movement is its signature cadence.

Progressions to try

1. i – IV – i: start on the sad tonic minor, let hope arrive with the IV major, then cadence back. This alone captures the Dorian essence.
2. i – bIII – bVII – IV: a strong rock progression.
3. Minor to minor, then major: for example v minor to IV major, which sounds very brave.
4. bIII – bVII – IV: for extra positivity, ending on the IV major.

Ideas from Jason's riffs

Melody alone can be Dorian

In a G Dorian rock riff, the melody hovers around D and G and passes through F, E and D. The E natural, the natural sixth, is what makes it Dorian. Play Eb instead and it becomes minor. Chords such as Gm, Bb (bIII) and C (IV) add the epic feel, but they are optional.

Thirds over a drone

Another approach skips chord progressions: move in thirds over a held drone note. If you add a new bass note, try placing it lower.

Colour chords

• In F Dorian, Eb/G (the bVII over the second degree) adds bite, tension and hope.
• In Bb Dorian, a riff moves Bbm – Fm – Bbm – Db and ends on a suspended IV for interest.
• In a D Dorian fusion riff over a D drone, G/B (the IV with the natural sixth in the bass) slides to Bb, a chord borrowed from minor, before returning to Dm. This makes it even more uplifting.

Funk, jazz and blues

• Funk: vamp i minor 7 to IV dominant 7, for example Dm7 to G7. If seventh chords are hard, play the root in the left hand and the other notes in the right.
• Jazz: extend further, for example Gm9 to C13 in G Dorian.
• Doors-style: toggle i minor and ii minor, such as Cm to Dm, or Cm7 to Dm7.
• Blues: over a bluesy D drone, sneak in the G major (IV) and return quickly home, a sound used often by Pink Floyd.

Song form

Use Dorian for an A section, then move to major for a victorious B section or to minor for defeat. This builds a story.

How to practise

Write out the seven Dorian chords in a few keys, then play i – IV – i until you can hear the raised sixth. Add bIII and bVII, try the funk vamp with sevenths, and compose short melodies that deliberately include the natural sixth. Try left-hand block chords or a simple arpeggio pattern under your melody.

Questions about this lesson

What is the difference between Dorian and natural minor?

Dorian is the natural minor scale with the sixth raised by a semitone. In D, natural minor has Bb, while D Dorian has B natural.

What is the most important chord progression in Dorian?

The i minor to IV major movement, such as Dm to G in D Dorian. The major IV chord is what gives Dorian its brave, hopeful character.

Which chords are in the D Dorian mode?

Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim and C, which are i, ii, bIII, IV, v, vi diminished and bVII.

What genres use the Dorian mode?

It is common in rock, funk, blues, fusion, jazz, RnB, film scores and Indian music, often for brave or epic moods.

Practise it

• Riff DatabaseExplore Jason Zac’s original compositions by musical mood, style, scale and metre.
• Solfa StudioPractise scales, solfège and swaras with visual and musical context.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

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