Die dorische Tonleiter

Lesson Overview: Exploring the Dorian Scale

So this next lesson is pushing us away from the pentatonic scale.

Recap: Pentatonic Scale

In our last lesson, we started licks and explored the pentatonic scale, focusing on:

• Great intervals
• Stepwise melodies

These elements can create really interesting licks for your contemporary songs.

Introducing the Dorian Scale

That said, there are other scales out there, and you can do so much with alternative scales. Today, we're going to look at a special scale that's probably one of my favorites: the Dorian scale.

• It has a really beautiful, lilting, Celtic sound by itself.
• When used in pop tracks, it sounds really hip.

Getting Started with the Dorian Scale

Let me play you the pentatonic scale. If you were to start on a keyboard from the note D, you could play from D to D, all using white notes, which gives you:

• The Dorian scale.
  Let me show you, it's very simple: all white notes from D to D.

Theoretical Foundation

Now, if we think about that as a bit of a formula, for those of you who want to add some theory, we can identify this scale as follows:

• Major Scale: Two flats in it.
  • Flatten the third
  • Flatten the seventh

So here's the breakdown:

• Flattened Third: 3rd note
• Flattened Seventh: 7th note

You can apply this formula to any key. If you take a major scale in any key, you'll get the Dorian scale by flattening the third and seventh notes.

Dorian vs. Natural Minor

The reason this scale differs from your standard natural minor scale is:

• A normal minor scale has a flattened sixth.
• The Dorian scale has a beautiful major sixth.

This major sixth adds a lift or mystical feeling to the scale, which I love!

Today's Lick

We will be working on a lick based on the Dorian scale, incorporating the flat sixth and flat seventh. If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the theory, don't worry too much!

Technical Tips for Practicing

Before we proceed, let's look at some technical tips:

Tip 1: Body Movement and Relaxation

• Last time, we talked about ensuring that there's no extra tension in the face, jaw, or tongue, making it easier to perform a lick.

Tip 2: Mouth Position

• Don't let your mouth get too close at the end of a phrase. This might be due to jaw tension.
• If you notice this in the mirror, try placing a finger (or two) between your teeth.

This will promote openness in your voice and reduce jaw tension.

Tip 3: Experiment with Vowels

• When learning licks, don't stick to one vowel.

• For today's lick, we'll be using two vowels, but remember that there are numerous options to explore:

  • Open vowels: "a"
  • Narrow vowels: "oo" and "o"

These variations can feel more comfortable within different contexts. Try a whole bunch of different things!

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Let's dive into the lick and enjoy this exploration of the Dorian scale!