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Fig. 1 · Db Dorian · first 12 frets

guitar scale

D♭ Dorian

D♭1E♭2F♭♭3G♭4A♭5B♭6C♭♭7

Minor with a natural sixth. The second mode of the major scale.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are C♯ Dorian.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · Db Dorian, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

D♭WE♭HF♭WG♭WA♭WB♭HC♭WD♭

What is true of it

D♭ Dorian is D♭, E♭, F♭, G♭, A♭, B♭ and C♭, and back to D♭.

Its steps are W – H – W – W – W – H – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.

It costs 7 alterations to write — near the limit of what a key signature can carry.

On the same tonic, D♭ natural minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 45 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

D♭mminorD♭m7minor seventhE♭mminorE♭m7minor seventhG♭majorG♭7dominant seventhA♭mminorA♭m7minor seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on D♭

D♭ PhrygianmodeD♭ LydianmodeD♭ MixolydianmodeD♭ majormajorD♭ natural minorminorD♭ harmonic minorminor

C dorD dorD♯ dorE♭ dorE dorF dorF♯ dorG♭ dorall 374