B Dorian #4 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagram
B Dorian #4 Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Dorian #4 scale, known in Eastern Europe as the Ukrainian Dorian or Misheberak, has a deeply soulful, crying quality. On Guitar, the notes are B, C#, D, F, F#, G#, A. It is a pillar of Jewish Klezmer music and traditional Balkan folk songs. Commonly used in Klezmer, Balkan Folk, Metal, Film Scores. Notable players include Itzhak Perlman, Bregovic, System of a Down. Use over m7 chords in Klezmer and Balkan contexts. The #4 adds the exotic 'weeping' quality that defines these traditions.
Notes: B, C#, D, F, F#, G#, A
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4A, 5P, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7
Formula: W-H-WH-H-W-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Also known as: ukrainian dorian, romanian minor, altered dorian
How to Play B Dorian #4 on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 7 on the 6th (low E) to find your B root note. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is 2nd fret on the A string.
The B Dorian #4 scale contains 3 sharps (C#, F#, G#). Its relative major is D major, which shares the same key signature.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the B Dorian #4 scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on B to let the characteristic intervals of the Dorian #4 scale come through clearly.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the B Dorian #4 scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications.
The B Dorian #4 scale contains 7 notes (B, C#, D, F, F#, G#, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for B Dorian #4
The B Dorian #4 scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore B Dorian #4 Further
- Harmonize the B Dorian #4 scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- B Dorian #4 on Ukulele
- B Dorian #4 on Bass
- B Dorian #4 on Piano
Explore B Dorian #4 in Other Tunings
- B Dorian #4 in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- B Dorian #4 in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- B Dorian #4 in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- B Dorian #4 in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- B Dorian #4 in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- B Dorian #4 in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- B Dorian #4 in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- B Dorian #4 in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- B Dorian #4 in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- B Dorian #4 in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- B Dorian #4 in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- B Dorian #4 in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- B Dorian #4 in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- B Dorian #4 in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)