Daily fretboard challenges by Fretuoso®

C Dorian on Ukulele

Explore C Dorian on Ukulele: 7 notes, C · D · E♭ · F · G · A · B♭. Find its roots and characteristic notes across the neck, then hear them with the interactive fretboard.

Scale on staff

Treble clef · Root to octave

Written notes: C4, D4, E♭4, F4, G4, A4, B♭4, and C5

Swipe across the staff to see every note.

Notation details

C Dorian signature: B♭ and E♭. Other alterations are marked on the notes.

Ukulele is written at sounding pitch. This example uses an octave close to the staff for easier reading, keeping the scale’s key and canonical spelling.

Find and hear notes

Flats and sharps can name the same pitch. Staff notes keep their canonical spelling.

Scale root: C. Square markers identify it across the neck.

Tap a note to hear it. Scroll along the neck to explore frets.

Keyboard controls

Keyboard: use arrow keys to move between notes, then Enter or Space to play.

Understand the scale

Dorian combines a minor third and seventh with a natural sixth. That sixth distinguishes this seven-note mode from natural minor without changing its minor third.

Each note has an interval measured from the root. The graph spaces notes by semitones (one fret each); the numbers between markers show the steps to neighboring notes. The final note is the root one octave higher.

Scale intervals from C to its octave

Semitones from the root. Steps between neighboring notes (semitones).

C — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones D — Major second; 2 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone E♭ — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones F — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones G — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones A — Major sixth; 9 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone B♭ — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones C — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. C — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesC1D — Major second; 2 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneD2E♭ — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesE♭♭3F — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesF4G — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesG5A — Major sixth; 9 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneA6B♭ — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesB♭♭7C — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. C8C — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones D — Major second; 2 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone E♭ — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones F — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones G — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones A — Major sixth; 9 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone B♭ — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones C — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. C — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesC1D — Major second; 2 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneD2E♭ — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesE♭♭3F — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesF4G — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesG5A — Major sixth; 9 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitoneA6B♭ — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitonesB♭♭7C — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root. C8
Read the intervals
  1. C — Root (unison); 0 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  2. D — Major second; 2 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone
  3. E♭ — Minor third; 3 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  4. F — Perfect fourth; 5 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  5. G — Perfect fifth; 7 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  6. A — Major sixth; 9 semitones from the root. Next step: 1 semitone
  7. B♭ — Minor seventh; 10 semitones from the root. Next step: 2 semitones
  8. C — Octave (root); 12 semitones from the root.

How the fretboard repeats

Fret 12 has the same note name as the open string, one octave higher. The pattern repeats every 12 frets. Between E and F, and between B and C, there is one semitone; the other adjacent natural notes are two semitones apart.

String order is not pitch order on a high-G ukulele. The open C string is the lowest note. Fret 3 on the E string matches the open G string, while fret 5 on E matches the open A string.

Try this

  • Find C at the nut on the open C string (string 3). Compare the square root markers on other strings, listening for their registers.
  • Play C, then E♭, then C again. Say each note and use the degrees above to connect its sound to its role in the scale.
  • Make a short phrase from the highlighted notes and finish on C. On Ukulele, practice slowly, then compare this collection with another scale in the same key.

Put the notes into practice

Today’s Fretuodle uses the shared theme, which may differ from this reference. Your practice here does not affect Fretuodle results.

Play today’s Ukulele challenge

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