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D Dorian vs D Natural Minor

One raised note separates a melancholy minor scale from the brightest minor mode in jazz and funk.

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A

D Dorian Mode

eBGDAE3579121517EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGA
Root2nd3rd4th5th6th7th

Notes: D – E – F – G – A – B – C  ·  Formula: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – ♭7

B

D Natural Minor (Aeolian)

eBGDAE3579121517EFGABbCDEFGACDEFGABbCDEGABbCDEFGABbCDEFGABbCDEFGABbCDEFGABbCDEFGABbCDEFGA
Root2nd3rd4th5th♭67th

Notes: D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C  ·  Formula: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7

What's the difference?

Shared notesD1E2F♭3G4A5C♭7
Only in DorianB6
Only in Natural MinorBb♭6
Why it matters: Dorian is natural minor with a raised 6th. That single lifted note is the whole story: it keeps the minor 3rd (so it still sounds minor) but brightens the colour into the hopeful, jazzy, funky quality Dorian is prized for.

Shown in D: D Dorian uses only natural notes, which is why it is the standard teaching example, and it matches the D Dorian page.

Go deeper on each scale
D DorianScale page
Related comparisons
Major vs Natural MinorComparisonHarmonic Minor vs Natural MinorComparisonPhrygian vs Natural MinorComparison
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