The JAZZY Exotic Scale: Dorian b2 (AKA Phrygian natural 6)

Tommaso Zillio

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In my videos I have featured several exotic scales.

To our western ear, most of them sound “eastern” - I am purposefully using a vague word here.

And, always to our ear, most of them also sound “Metal” - or at least a lot of metal players have used these scales in their solos.

This scale is kinda of an exception. While it can still be used in Metal, whenever I use it somehow it always ends up sounding jazzy.

And what a good jazz scale it is!

The thing is - you will never, not in a million year, guess how this scale sounds only by looking at its name.

This scale is the Dorian b2 scale - even if some people call it the “Phrygian natural 6”

(The name kinda screams “Metal” doesn’t it?)

Anyway, you have to hear it to believe it:

As a challenge: record a metal solo out of this scale and send it to me.

If instead you make a jazz piece out of it… send it to me anyway :)

Another “Dorian” scale that has a definitely more Metal sound is the Dorian #4. Despite the name being similar, this is a completely different beast:

Have fun with these scales.

And if you want to move beyond just simple examples - and finally understand how scales and modes are laid out on your guitar fretboard and how you can use them to solo over any kind of chord progression without having a brain seizure every time… then have a look at the Master of the Modes guitar course