The dorian minor scale

The Dorian minor scale (second of the 7 mode scales)
The minor scale often used in jazz/funk/rock/pop when playing over a single minor 7 chord
Many funktunes are built on 1 chord (ie Em7) or 2 chords (ie Em7 A7) progressions
The jazz tune “So what” by Miles Davis is composed using only the dorian minor scale (16 bars Dm7, 8 8 bars Ebm7, 8 bars Dm7)
I almost always use this for improvising on minor chords and for slapbass lines in minor, and i even use it over dominant 7 chords (ie E7) for a bluesy sound (the minor third instead of the major third)

Scale degrees/intervals, example in Cm:
C, tonic (1)
D, major second (2)
Eb, minor third (b3)
F, perfect fourth (4)
G, perfect fifth (5)
A, major sixth (6)
Bb, minor seventh (b7)

Scale formula:
Whole step - C to D
Half step - D to Eb
Whole step - Eb to F
Whole step - F to G
Whole step - G to A
Half step - A to Bb
Whole step - Bb to C

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 C dorian scale 2 octaves: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1501)

 

 C dorian scale impro example: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1160)

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