A Dorian #4 Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

A Dorian #4 in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The A Dorian #4 scale, known in Eastern Europe as the Ukrainian Dorian or Misheberak, has a deeply soulful, crying quality. On Guitar, the notes are A, B, C, D#, E, F#, G. 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: A, B, C, D#, E, F#, G

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

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

Also known as: ukrainian dorian, romanian minor, altered dorian

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning