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Fig. 1 · Gb Dorian · first 12 frets

guitar scale

G♭ Dorian

G♭1A♭2B♭♭♭3C♭4D♭5E♭6F♭♭7

Minor with a natural sixth. The second mode of the major scale.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are F♯ Dorian.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · Gb Dorian, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

G♭WA♭HB♭♭WC♭WD♭WE♭HF♭WG♭

What is true of it

G♭ Dorian is G♭, A♭, B♭♭, C♭, D♭, E♭ and F♭, and back to G♭.

Its steps are W – H – W – W – W – H – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.

Written correctly it needs 8 alterations, B♭♭ among them. That is what the letters force, and it is also why nobody writes music in this key: the same notes spelled from the other side are easier to read.

On the same tonic, G♭ natural minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 46 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

D♭mminorD♭m7minor seventhE♭dimdiminishedE♭m7♭5half-diminished seventhG♭mminorG♭m7minor seventhA♭mminorA♭m7minor seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on G♭

G♭ PhrygianmodeG♭ LydianmodeG♭ MixolydianmodeG♭ majormajorG♭ natural minorminorG♭ harmonic minorminor

C dorC♯ dorD♭ dorD dorD♯ dorE♭ dorE dorF dorall 374