Ab Dorian Scale — Notes, Chords & Free MIDI
The Ab Dorian scale is Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb. Free MIDI download, with the chord built on every degree of the key — no sign-up.
A minor scale with a raised sixth. That one note lifts it out of the sadness of natural minor into something cooler and more open — minor, but not mournful. In Ab Dorian the notes are Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, written with 6 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb). Its parallel major is Ab Major. The interval that gives it its sound is the natural 6 over a minor third. This page presets the scale tool to Ab Dorian — play it, or download it as MIDI with or without the chords.
The notes of the Ab Dorian scale
| Degree | 1 | 2 | b3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Ab | Bb | Cb | Db | Eb | F | Gb |
Key signature: 6 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb).
Step pattern
- W
- H
- W
- W
- W
- H
- W
W is a whole step (two semitones), H a half step (one), W+H a three-semitone jump. The pattern adds up to the octave.
Ab Dorian on the keyboard
The tonic is the darkest key; every other highlighted key belongs to the scale.
Chords in the key of Ab Dorian
Stack a third and a fifth from the scale on every degree and you get the chords that belong to this key. Tick diatonic chords before downloading to put all 7 of them in the MIDI file after the scale itself.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Abm | Ab – Cb – Eb | minor |
| ii | Bbm | Bb – Db – F | minor |
| bIII | Cb | Cb – Eb – Gb | major |
| IV | Db | Db – F – Ab | major |
| v | Ebm | Eb – Gb – Bb | minor |
| vi° | F° | F – Ab – Cb | diminished |
| bVII | Gb | Gb – Bb – Db | major |
Related keys
- Ab Major — parallel major — the same tonic, a different third
- Gb Major — parent major scale — this mode is its notes started from a different degree
The other modes of these notes
Start the same seven notes on a different degree and you get a different mode. These six share every note with Ab Dorian and differ only in which one is home.
Where the Dorian scale is used
modal jazz, funk, house and deep house vamps, folk tunes, and film cues that want minor without grief.
How it works
Choose a root note and a scale, and this tool builds a MIDI file containing the scale played ascending and descending in quarter notes. Enable diatonic chords to also include the triad built on every degree of the scale — a quick way to hear which chords belong to a key. Press play preview to hear the exact notes before downloading. This page arrives preset to Ab Dorian, so the preview and the download both start on Ab4 and climb through the scale from there.
What can you do with a scale MIDI file?
- Drag it into your DAW as a reference lane while writing melodies.
- Learn unfamiliar scales — modes, pentatonics, harmonic minor — by seeing them on a piano roll.
- Feed it to arpeggiators or samplers that expect incoming MIDI.
A Ab Dorian reference lane earns its keep fast: with Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb laid out on the piano roll, one glance tells you whether a note in your melody belongs to the scale or is a deliberate colour tone.
Want full generated tracks instead of raw scales? Open the MIDI Maker studio and let the generator write melodies in Ab Dorian for you.
The dorian scale in every key
More scales starting on Ab
- Ab Major
- Ab Phrygian
- Ab Lydian
- Ab Mixolydian
- Ab Minor
- Ab Locrian
- Ab Major Pentatonic
- Ab Minor Pentatonic
- Ab Blues
- Ab Harmonic Minor
- Ab Melodic Minor
Or head back to the scale to MIDI tool to build any combination yourself.
Keep building: chords, drums and more
- I–V–vi–IV in Ab Major
- vi–IV–I–V in Ab Major
- I–IV–V–IV in Ab Major
- I–vi–IV–V in Ab Major
- ii–V–I in Ab Major
- I–vi–ii–V in Ab Major
- Drum MIDI generator
- Audio to MIDI converter
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Ab Dorian scale?
The Ab Dorian scale contains 7 notes: Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb. Measured against the major scale that is 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7, and the step pattern is W H W W W H W. The MIDI file plays them ascending and descending in quarter notes starting from Ab4.
What chords are in the key of Ab Dorian?
Stacking thirds on each degree gives i Abm, ii Bbm, bIII Cb, IV Db, v Ebm, vi° F°, bVII Gb. Tick "diatonic chords" before downloading and the MIDI file includes all 7 of them after the scale.
Is this Ab Dorian MIDI file free to use?
Yes — the download is free, requires no sign-up, and the generated MIDI is royalty-free for personal and commercial projects. A scale is not copyrightable in any case.
How do I use the scale MIDI in my DAW?
Drag the downloaded .mid file onto an instrument track in any DAW (Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Reaper, Bitwig, Studio One). It appears on the piano roll as regular notes you can edit, transpose, or feed into an arpeggiator.
Want full tracks, not just scales?
The MIDI Maker studio rolls complete, editable arrangements — melody, chords, bass and drums — you can export to any DAW. Free, in your browser.
Open the Studio — Free