Harmonic MajorDegree 2

Dorian ♭5

Warm amber dimmed by a grey-green haze. Dorian's familiar warmth viewed through frosted glass.

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Scale NotesDorian ♭5 in C
C
D
E♭
F
G♭
A
B♭
Interval Formula
12♭34♭56♭7
Primary Chord
The tonic chord built from this mode
Cm7♭5

Chord Tones

CD♯F♯A♯

All Diatonic Chords

Cm7♭5Dm7D♯m(maj7)F7F♯maj7♯5Am7A♯maj7
Chord Voicings
Guitar voicings for Cm7♭5
Cm7♭58Root, minor 7th, minor 3rd. Shell omits the b5; context and bass define the half-diminished quality.
Cm7♭57Root, b7, b3, b5. Four-note voicing that clearly spells out the half-diminished quality.
Cm7♭5Root, b5, b7, b3. Compact 5th-string drop-2 voicing with the b5 clearly present.
Fretboard

Dorian ♭5 in C

123456789101112131415EADGBeFF♯AA♯CDD♯FF♯AA♯CDD♯FF♯AA♯CDD♯FF♯AA♯CDD♯FAA♯CDD♯FF♯AA♯CDD♯FF♯AA♯CDFF♯AA♯CDD♯FF♯
RootCharacteristic toneScale tone
Listen
Audio. Dorian ♭5 in C
Tempo:
180 BPM

Musical Context

Diatonic Context
Chords built from the B♭ harmonic major scale — click any chord for voicings
Where to Use Dorian ♭5
Primary Chord
Cm7♭5
Function
Subdominant
Key Context
The ii° chord in B♭ harmonic major

Dorian's warm minor quality darkened by a diminished 5th.

Related Chord Voicings
Extensions, substitutions, and simplifications for Cm7♭5

Simplified Voicings

Example Progressions
Progressions where Dorian ♭5 applies (in C)
ii°
ii°: Cm7♭5

Sustained half-diminished chord for practicing Locrian or Locrian Natural 2.

Practice in Play Along →
ii° → V → I → ii°
ii°: Cm7♭5V: F7I: B♭maj7ii°: Cm7♭5

A modal cadence centered on the half-diminished quality.

Practice in Play Along →
Arpeggio Connection
The arpeggio that matches the Cm7♭5 chord
Half-Diminished 7th
Cm7♭5
Tones
C
R
E♭
♭3
G♭
♭5
B♭
♭7
Highlighted = guide tones (define chord quality)

Sound

Dorian's warm minor quality darkened by a diminished 5th. The natural 6th keeps Dorian's signature warmth, but the ♭5 destabilizes the foundation, creating a half-diminished sound that still has that soulful Dorian glow. Unusual and moody.

Practical Use Cases

  • ●Over m7♭5 chords when you want a warmer sound than Locrian variants
  • ●Harmonic major ii chord applications
  • ●Creating an ambiguous minor-diminished color
  • ●Modern jazz and neo-soul progressions

Practical Notes

The second mode of harmonic major. It's essentially Dorian with a ♭5, which makes it work over half-diminished chords while retaining Dorian's characteristic natural 6th. Compare it to Locrian ♮2 (from melodic minor) and Locrian ♮6 (from harmonic minor). this one has both a natural 2nd and natural 6th, making it the 'warmest' half-diminished option. The augmented 2nd between the 6th and ♭7 gives it a slightly exotic edge. A niche but beautiful color for advanced players exploring m7♭5 chord options.

half-diminishedminorwarmharmonic-major-familyadvanced

Practice Drills

Ascending & Descending in One PositionBeginnerTechnique
5 min

Play the mode ascending and descending within a single five-fret box. Build muscle memory and connect the sound to the shape.

Three-Notes-Per-String PatternsIntermediateTechnique
10 min

Play the mode using three notes on every string, stretching across the neck. Great for building legato technique and hearing the scale in a linear way.

Emphasize Characteristic Tones on Strong BeatsIntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Create short melodic phrases that land the mode's characteristic tone(s) on beats 1 and 3. This trains you to bring out the sound that defines the mode.

Improvise Over a Matching ChordBeginnerImprovisation
5 min

Play the mode's parent chord as a loop (or use a backing track) and improvise over it for two minutes. This connects the mode to its harmonic context.

Create 3 Licks Using Only Strings 1–3IntermediateImprovisation
10 min

Compose three short licks (2–4 beats each) using only the top three strings. This forces creativity within a constraint and builds upper-register vocabulary.

Resolve from Tension to StabilityIntermediateEar Training
8 min

Practice approaching chord tones from a half step above or below, training your ear to hear tension resolve.

Try Dorian ♭5 in Play Along

Practice improvising over real chord changes with guided scale and target note suggestions.

Related Modes

DorianLocrian Natural 2Locrian Natural 6

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