Dorian

Link to Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian and Aeolian: Samples and Examples of the 4 Main Musical Scales in Celtic, Anglo-American and English Folk Songs [[1]]

The notes of the Dorian mode in tonic solfa are sung as “re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do, re”. The D Dorian notes are D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D’ and you get this scale on a piano when you play upwards from D to D’ on the white keys. Note the distribution of the tone and semitone intervals in this scale:

D-(TONE)-E-(SEMI-TONE)-F-(TONE)-G-(TONE)-A-(TONE)-B-(SEMI-TONE)-C-(TONE)-D’

The Dorian scale is the same as the Mixolydian scale except that the third note is flattened by a semitone. To convert a Mixolydian to a Dorian key signature, add a flat to, or remove a sharp from, it. Likewise, to convert a Dorian to a Mixolydian key signature, remove a flat from, or add a sharp to, it.

To convert a Dorian to an Ionian key signature add 2 sharps to, or remove 2 flats from, it. Likewise, to convert an Ionian key signature to a Dorian key signature, add 2 flats to, or remove 2 sharps from, it.

Below you will find a sample of tunes in the Dorian scale.