Drop D riff — Dorian colour in D
A riff built on the D grid (D5d, G5d, A5d, B5d): its colour comes partly from the Dorian mode typical of Drop D rock/metal, darker than a major scale but less closed-off than a classic natural minor.
Tips
Isolate by ear the chord that strays furthest from the root before putting it back into the full riff: it's the one carrying the riff's modal colour.
Chord progression — D
Bar 1
D5d
i
Bar 2
D5d
i
Bar 3
G5d
IV
Bar 4
A5d
v
Bar 5
D5d
i
Bar 6
D5d
i
Bar 7
B5d
VI
Bar 8
A5d
v
Chords
Related sheets
- call and response power riff — B (Level 4)
- Rock in B minor (variant) — arpeggios (Level 4)
- String-skip zigzag riff — E minor (Level 4)