C# Dorian Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

C# dorian scale — 6-string guitar fretboard diagramInteractive fretboard diagram showing the C# dorian scale on 6-string guitar with 22 frets. Notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B.C#D#EF#G#A#BC#D#EF#G#A#BG#A#BC#D#EF#G#A#BC#D#EF#EF#G#A#BC#D#EF#G#A#BC#BC#D#EF#G#A#BC#D#EF#G#F#G#A#BC#D#EF#G#A#BC#D#EBC#D#EF#G#A#BC#D#EF#G#1357911121315171921

C# Dorian in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The C# Dorian scale is the second mode of the major scale, offering a soulful and sophisticated minor sound. On Guitar, it contains the notes C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B. Because it features a major sixth, it sounds brighter and more hopeful than the natural minor. It is the go-to scale for jazz, funk, and modal blues. The diatonic chords of C# Dorian are C#m7, D#m7, EMaj7, F#7, G#m7, A#m7b5, BMaj7. Commonly used in Funk, Jazz, Fusion, Neo-Soul, Blues. Notable players include Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, D'Angelo. Use over m7, m9, m11, m13 chords. The go-to scale for any minor chord in funk, jazz, and soul. Works especially well over long minor vamps.

Notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7m

Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

Formula: W-H-W-W-W-H-W

Number of notes: 7

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

Diatonic Chords

C♯m7 — D♯m7 — EMaj7 — F♯7 — G♯m7 — A♯m7♭5 — BMaj7

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