GuitarManac

D major scale

Notes in the scaleTap one to hear it and find it on the neck

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
Key
CD♭DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭B
Scale

Every D major note on the neck.

3579121517EF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEGABC♯DEF♯GABDEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GA
D major scale guide

The D major scale

The major scale is the reference point for almost all Western music. Its seven notes follow the step pattern W W H W W W H, and every other scale is usually described by how it differs from it. It sounds bright and resolved.

Its relative minor is B minor, which uses the same notes starting from B.

Notes
D E F♯ G A B C♯
Formula
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Steps
W W H W W W H
W is two frets, H is one fret

D major scale positions

Two common ways to split the neck into positions. CAGED gives five shapes, each built around a chord shape you may already know. Three notes per string gives seven patterns that are faster to play.

CAGED shapes

Five shapes named after the chord shape each one is built around.

  1. 3579121517ABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GAB

    A shape

    Frets 4 to 8. Starts on A, the 5, on the lowest string. Built around the A chord shape.
  2. 3579121517BC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯D

    G shape

    Frets 6 to 10. Starts on B, the 6, on the lowest string. Built around the G chord shape.
  3. 3579121517C♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DE

    E shape

    Frets 9 to 12. Starts on C♯, the 7, on the lowest string. Built around the E chord shape.
  4. 3579121517EF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯G

    D shape

    Frets 11 to 15. Starts on E, the 2, on the lowest string. Built around the D chord shape.
  5. 3579121517F♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GA

    C shape

    Frets 14 to 17. Starts on F♯, the 3, on the lowest string. Built around the C chord shape.

Three notes per string

Seven patterns. Pattern 1 starts on the root on the lowest string.

  1. 3579121517DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯G

    Position 1

    Frets 10 to 15. Starts on D, the root, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  2. 3579121517EF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GA

    Position 2

    Open strings to fret 5. Starts on E, the 2, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  3. 3579121517F♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GAB

    Position 3

    Frets 2 to 7. Starts on F♯, the 3, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  4. 3579121517GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯

    Position 4

    Frets 3 to 9. Starts on G, the 4, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  5. 3579121517ABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯D

    Position 5

    Frets 5 to 10. Starts on A, the 5, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  6. 3579121517BC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DE

    Position 6

    Frets 7 to 12. Starts on B, the 6, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  7. 3579121517C♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯

    Position 7

    Frets 9 to 14. Starts on C♯, the 7, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.

Chords in D major

Built from the notes of the scale, so the D major scale works over all of them.