D# Dorian B2 Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

D# Dorian B2 in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The D# Dorian B2 scale is a soulful mode from the melodic minor system that combines the minor brightness of Dorian with the dark tension of a flattened second. On Guitar, the notes are D#, E, F#, G#, A#, C, C#. It is used in modern jazz and film scores to create a sound that is both sophisticated and slightly unsettling. Commonly used in Jazz, Film Scores, Fusion, Contemporary. Notable players include Wayne Shorter, Kenny Garrett, Brad Mehldau. Use over m7, m9, sus(b9) chords. Works on the ii chord in a minor ii-V-i when you want extra tension.

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

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

Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7

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

Number of notes: 7

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

Also known as: phrygian #6, melodic minor second mode

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