Reviewing the Dorian

Understanding Pentatonic Scales Deriving from the Dorian Scale

These two pentatonics, the minor pentatonic and the BIII pentatonic, are both derived from the Dorian scale.

Key Characteristics of the Dorian Scale

• Remember how the Dorian on C has a flat 3 and a flat 7?

• The flat 3 pentatonic uses those notes minus the F and the B.

  • So, if you leave those notes out, that's what you get.
  • Think of it as a color or a flavor of the Dorian.

• The minor pentatonic is a different scale that leaves out the D and the A.

  • This gives it a different color, but they are both 100% compatible with the Dorian tonality.

Application in Practice

For instance, this compatibility will be useful in our playing.

• You remember we played the Dorian scale over Soulful Step with these chords:
  • C minor 7 to F7
  • Or just C minor to F

You'll recall the solo. We tried it both ways.

• You improvised with the Dorian scale, and I suggested that you also try it with the minor pentatonic.

Considerations with the Minor Pentatonic

Now, there is a slight issue with that. As we've seen before, over the F, you might end up playing this B flat, which is going to clash.

• A fantastic solution to that is to use the BIII instead.

Experimenting with the BIII Pentatonic

Just listen to the BIII pentatonic over C minor and F.

• You can hear that the A natural is a much better choice of note over the F chord than B flat.

So, you could go back to Soulful Step now and try this BIII pentatonic over both of those two chords. I think you'll find that it works really well horizontally over both of them.