ArpeggiosEN

Scale

G♯ dorian ♭2

Melodic minor modes

Formula
1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Notes
G♯ A B C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯

Notation

441♭2♭3456♭71

Fretboard — frets 0–24

G♯ dorian ♭2 — frets 0 to 24, 86 notes, roots in orange6♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭345♭3456♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭31♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭3456♭756♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭34♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭26♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭3450123456789101112131415161718192021222324
G♯ dorian ♭2 — frets 0 to 24, 86 notes, roots in orange6♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭345♭3456♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭31♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭3456♭756♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭34♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭26♭71♭2♭3456♭71♭2♭3450123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Degrees

DegreeNoteIntervalSemitonesRole
1G♯perfect unison0The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves.
♭2Aminor second1The minor second — a half-step above the root and the sharpest tension in the box; phrygian and the altered scale lean on it.
♭3Bminor third3The minor third — the dark counterpart of the major third; it turns a shape minor and colours m, m7 and the minor scales.
4C♯perfect fourth5The perfect fourth — stable yet suspended; in sus4 it takes the third's place and leaves the chord hanging.
5D♯perfect fifth7The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality.
6E♯major sixth9The major sixth — the hopeful note that separates dorian and m6 from their darker cousins; it sits a whole step above the fifth.
♭7F♯minor seventh10The minor seventh — the dominant's engine; a whole step under the root, it turns a triad into a 7 chord and drives the resolution.

About this scale

Dorian flat two is the second degree of melodic minor: the dorian shape with a flattened second and a natural sixth. The flat second adds a dark, phrygian-like edge, but the natural sixth keeps the scale from becoming purely Spanish, so the result is richer and more ambiguous than either parent. It is the scale of the sus♭9 chord and appears in modern jazz and film music over suspended harmonies that need tension without a clear direction. The natural sixth and flat second together are the signature. Listen for the flat second's bite against the open, raised sixth.

How to practise this scale

  • Play the flat second against the natural sixth and hold both colours.
  • Compare it with dorian and isolate the lowered second.
  • Improvise over a sus♭9 chord and let the flat second bite.
  • Play the scale slowly, keeping the sixth bright and the second dark.