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Lessons

Song Examples

Dorian

Minor with a raised 6th - frictionless, even-keeled minor

Intervals
12♭3456♭7
Characteristic

♮6 (natural 6th)

Tonic Class
Major 7 Minor 7 Dominant Minor-Major 7 Diminished

i7 - v9

The i7 - v7 vamp is shared with Aeolian, so by itself it sounds ambiguous between Aeolian and Dorian until a ♮6 appears somewhere in the song. To make this vamp specifically a Dorian, change v7 to a v9 - the 9th here is the mode's ♮6. You have a lot of creative freedom about how heavily you want to emphasize that note — in other words, how Dorian you want the song to sound.

Note that there’s no diatonic 13th for a v7 chord - that would be the mode’s major 3rd, and Dorian doesn’t have a major 3rd.

i7 - v9

Variants

  • i7 - v9 — The full Dorian sound (the Dorian’s 6th is the chord’s 9th).
  • i7 → v7 — Ambiguous between Aeolian and Dorian until the 6th appears somewhere else.
  • i7 → v11 — Extends v9 by adding an 11, which is the mode's root. Often voiced without a 3rd for a more open sound.