The scale collection

E Dorian for left-handed guitar

A minor mode with a natural sixth.

Your scale at a glance

E Dorian: notes and intervals

A minor mode with a natural sixth.

EF#GABC#D

Formula: 1 · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · b7

Practise this scaleDownload scale PDFCompare with another scale →
01 · Explore

Explore the left-handed fretboard

The nut is on the right. High e is at the top and low E at the bottom. Dark circles mark the root. Tap a note to hear it.

02 · Build confidence

How to start playing E Dorian

  1. Find E on the open low E string. Try the open-position window as a map, or choose another comfortable root.
  2. Choose a short route from one root to the next higher root. Check the note names and pitches rather than treating every dot as a fixed playing order.
  3. Use suggested fingerings as a starting point. Shift if needed, release excess pressure and avoid strain.
  4. Try one note per beat at a comfortable tempo, such as 60 BPM. Aim for a clean sound before adding speed.

Try this: Alternate 1-b3-5-6 with 1-b3-5-b6 from natural minor. Listen to the change.

How to read left-handed diagrams and standard tab

Make music

When to use E Dorian

Use a minor tonic groove that supports the natural sixth. Compare it with natural minor before trying a minor i to major IV vamp.

Make a short phrase, leave a space, and finish on E. Listen to how the same note changes against a different chord.

Reading the tab below

Tab keeps high e at the top and low E at the bottom for both hands. Numbers are frets; play from left to right. A 0 means an open string. Finger 1 is your index finger and 4 is your little finger.

03 · Connect the shapes

Five connected views of E Dorian

These overlapping fret windows show every scale note in each area. They are exploration maps, rather than a single prescribed CAGED fingering. Follow the root markers and use shared notes to move between windows. The views match the interactive fretboard and printable sheet.

Window 1 · open position
Left-handed E Dorian fret window 1, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 2 · from fret 3
Left-handed E Dorian fret window 2, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 3 · from fret 5
Left-handed E Dorian fret window 3, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 4 · from fret 7
Left-handed E Dorian fret window 4, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 5 · from fret 9
Left-handed E Dorian fret window 5, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
04 · Put it to music

Chords and a progression to try

Hear the harmony, then return to your scale. Chord diagrams are mirrored for left-handed guitar; high e is on the left. Movable triad voicings are provided for chords outside the beginner library.

05 · A little guidance

Questions before you play

Do I need to learn all five patterns at once?

No. Learn a short phrase in one comfortable area first. Add a neighbouring pattern when you can find the root and play cleanly.

Are these different notes from a right-handed guitar?

The notes and standard tuning are the same. The diagrams mirror the fretboard so you can read them for a left-handed instrument.

What if a stretch is uncomfortable?

Slow down, release excess pressure and shift position or choose another window. Stop if playing hurts.

Make sense of the notes

Understand scale roots, intervals and harmony, then try short pentatonic phrases or a beginner practice plan. Use this lesson for the exact E Dorian notes, diagrams and PDF.