A Dorian Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The A Dorian scale on banjo: scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: A B C D E F# G

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Basic Chords

Scale shapes

4NPS - Fifth Position

D|--7---9--10--12--14--16-|
B|--2---4---5---7---------|
G|--4---5---7---9---------|
D|--7---8--10--12---------|
G|-10--12--14--16---------|

4NPS - Sixth Position

D|--7---9--10--12--14--16--17-|
B|--4---5---7---9-------------|
G|--5---7---9--11-------------|
D|--8--10--12--13-------------|
G|-12--14--16--17-------------|

4NPS - Seventh Position

D|--7---9--10--12--14--16--17--19-|
B|--5---7---9--10-----------------|
G|--7---9--11--12-----------------|
D|-10--12--13--15-----------------|
G|-14--16--17--19-----------------|

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Am	A C E	`7 7 5 5 7`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 0`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 0 4 0 4`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 9`
III	C	C E G	`0 2 0 1 2`
III	C	C E G	`0 2 0 1 5`
III	C	C E G	`0 2 5 5 2`
III	C	C E G	`0 2 5 5 5`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 0`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 4`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 7 7 7 7`
V	Em	E G B	`0 2 0 0 2`
V	Em	E G B	`0 2 4 0 2`
V	Em	E G B	`0 2 4 0 5`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x x 2 1 x`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x 4 2 1 4`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x 4 2 1 x`
VI	F#dim	F# A C	`x x 2 1 4`
VII	G	G B D	`0 0 0 0 0`

Arpeggios

Chords: Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#dim – G

D|--------------------10------------------------------------------|--------------------12------------------------------------------|
B|5-----------8---10------10--7---------------5-----------8---10--|7-----------10--12------12--8---------------7-----------10--12--|
G|5---5---9-----------------------9---5-------5---5---9-----------|7---7---11----------------------11--7-------7---7---11----------|
D|7---------------------------------------7---7-------------------|9---------------------------------------9---9-------------------|
G|7-------------------------------------------7-------------------|9-------------------------------------------9-------------------|

D|2-------------------5-----------------------2-------------------|2-------------------5---9---5-----------------------2-----------|
B|0-----------3---5-------5---1---------------0-----------3---5---|0-----------3---5---------------5-------------------0-----------|
G|0---0---4-----------------------4---0-------0---0---4-----------|0-------4---------------------------5---4-----------0-------4---|
D|2---------------------------------------2---2-------------------|2---5---------------------------------------5---2---2---5-------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|2-------------------5-----------------------2-------------------|2-----------5---7---4---------------2-----------5---7---4-------|
B|0-----------3---5-------5---1---------------0-----------3---5---|1---1---5---------------5---1-------1---1---5---------------5---|
G|0---0---4-----------------------4---0-------0---0---4-----------|2-------------------------------2---2---------------------------|
D|2---------------------------------------2---2-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|7-----------------------------------7---------------------------|

D|--------------------4---7---4-----------------------------------|
B|3-----------1---3---------------3-------------------3-----------|
G|2-------2---------------------------4---2-----------2-------2---|
D|0---4---------------------------------------4---0---0---4-------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Walks

Chords: Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#dim – G

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------7-------8---7---------------------------|------------------------8-------10--8---------------------------|
G|--------5-------9---------------------------9-----------5-------|--------7-------11--------------------------11----------7-------|
D|7---------------------------------------------------------------|9---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------1-------3---1---------------------------|--------------------------------3-------------------------------|
G|--------0-------4---------------------------4-----------0-------|----------------4-------5-----------5-------4-------------------|
D|2---------------------------------------------------------------|2-------5-----------------------------------------------5-------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------4-------5---4---------------------------|
B|------------------------1-------3---1---------------------------|--------1-------5---------------------------5-----------1-------|
G|--------0-------4---------------------------4-----------0-------|2---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|2---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------1-------------------------------|
G|----------------2-------4-----------4-------2-------------------|
D|0-------4-----------------------------------------------4-------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 0 1 2`
I	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 2 1 2`
I	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 0 1 x`
I	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 2 1 x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 0`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
III	Cmaj7	C E G B	`0 2 0 0 2`
III	Cmaj7	C E G B	`0 2 0 0 x`
III	Cmaj7	C E G B	`x 2 0 0 2`
III	Cmaj7	C E G B	`x 2 0 0 x`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 0`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 x`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x x 2 1 0`
IV	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 4`
V	Em7	E G B D	`x x 0 0 0`
V	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 0 0 0`
V	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 0 0 x`
V	Em7	E G B D	`x 0 0 0 0`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x x 2 1 2`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 2`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 x`
VI	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 4 2 1 2`
VII	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`x x 0 0 4`
VII	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`x x 0 3 4`
VII	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`0 0 0 0 4`
VII	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`0 0 0 3 4`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 2 0 2`
I	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 2 0 x`
I	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 4 1 2`
I	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 4 1 x`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 4`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 4 2 1 0`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`7 0 5 0 0`
II	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`7 0 5 0 4`
III	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`0 2 0 0 0`
III	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x 2 0 0 0`
III	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`0 0 0 0 2`
III	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x 0 0 0 2`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 0 2 1 2`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 0`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 4 2 1 2`
IV	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 4`
V	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 2 0 3 4`
V	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 2 4 3 4`
V	Em9	E G B D F#	`x 2 0 3 4`
V	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 0 0 0 4`
VI	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 2 1 2`
VI	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 2 1 x`
VI	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 4 0 1 2`
VI	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 4 2 1 2`
VII	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 2 0 4`
VII	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 2 3 4`
VII	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
VII	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 4 2 0 0`

All banjo lessons · The Guitar Scales