What happens to A minor if C major turns into C dorian?

I’m stuck on this and need help with modes in general. If C major became C dorian, what would A minor turn into? I’ve heard it might be A dorian, but wouldn’t it actually be A minor dorian? I’m really confused.

In the regular case, C major and A minor are ionian and aeolian modes.

If C turns into dorian, then A would become locrian.

The terms ‘minor’ and ‘major’ are tied to the modes themselves. Some modes naturally have a flat third, others don’t.

I’m not totally sure what you mean, but dorian is the second mode. It’s a minor scale with a major 6th, so it can’t be a major scale.

If you’re working with C dorian, then it belongs to Bb major, and the relative minor in Bb major would be G minor (also called G aeolian). In this case, the seventh mode in Bb major would be A locrian.

Looks like others have answered already. Just wanted to add: modes can feel confusing but are worth learning. They’re really interesting once you get the hang of them!

Lyric said:
Looks like others have answered already. Just wanted to add: modes can feel confusing but are worth learning. They’re really interesting once you get the hang of them!

Yeah, I have to figure them out, so I guess I’m stuck for now…

@Cortland
But they’re still really cool!

If C is dorian, you’d actually be in Bb major. That would mean A turns into locrian.

Dorian and minor are different modes. If you’re looking at C dorian, its relative minor would be G minor. It can get tricky at first, but it makes more sense with practice.

Blaine said:
Dorian and minor are different modes. If you’re looking at C dorian, its relative minor would be G minor. It can get tricky at first, but it makes more sense with practice.

Thanks for explaining! So how does G minor fit in here? Sorry, I’m still learning music theory.

@Cortland
Good question! A few others mentioned Bb major earlier. Bb major and G minor use the same notes—it’s just two different starting points on the scale.

A minor comes from the sixth mode of C major. If you shift C into dorian, the sixth mode becomes A locrian.

You’ve called upon the music theory experts without knowing the rabbit hole you’ve opened.