The Dorian mode is a must-learn fro jazz improvisers. There are a lot of reasons for this…
- It’s used over the ii chord in ii V I progressions
- It’s the foundation for modal standards like Impressions, So What, Milestones, and many more
- It’s the go-to minor scale for “unrelated” minor chords (chords that don’t fall under a specific tonal center.) Example: for Ami7 Cmi7 Bbmi7 Dbmi7, you could use A, C, Bb, and Db dorian.
- It sounds great over extended minor vamps, like you might find in funk and Latin tunes.
- If you’re coming from a blues/rock background, the dorian is basically the minor pentatonic but with 2 very cool notes added.
Convinced? Good! As we’ve seen in previous lessons, the “old view” of dorian is something like “when you play a major scale starting on its 2nd note, that’s the dorian.” True, but all that helpful. The new view is (in my opinion, anyway) better: “The C dorian is what you get when you take a C major scale with and lower both the 3rd AND 7th (1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8.) The b3 and b7 of the dorian match what you find in minor 7 chords. That’s why the dorian is related to minor 7 chords.”
Hopefully you’ve already checked out the New View of the Modes Intro and Overview videos, and looked over the pdf files. (Trust me, it’s worth it to do this first!) Then, it’s time to dive in to the Dorian mode! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Download the “New View” Dorian pdf file here. It includes the main “overview” sheet, plus parts for all instruments (just print the ones you need.) Then,
- Watch the “New View” Dorian video here.
- If you haven’t already, I strongly advise you to get the iReal Pro app. It’s very cool, not expensive, and I include a LOT of iRP practice tracks throughout the web site.
- Download the Dorian Workout (8 bars each) here
- The 4 bar workout has a different groove and tempo. Remember you can play around with these in the app. Download the Dorian Workout (4 bars each) here
- More experienced players: I wrote an etude based on the Joe Henderson tune Black Narcissus. It uses dorian (mostly) and also lydian. There are parts for all instruments in the file. The practice track is included in iReal Pro. Download the Black Narcissus Etude here
- Learn the tunes I suggested on the dorian handout (and any others you like…there are plenty!) You can download the How To Learn New Tunes pdf here for some tips.