D Major: Open String Root and Shapes

D, E, F#, G, A, B and C#: that is the D major scale, a key with two sharps. The open D string hands you the root for free, so you can sing the tonic while your fretting hand finds the rest.

For box shapes the root also lies on the 10th fret of the low E string and the 5th fret of the A string. B minor shares all seven notes. Once the shapes feel steady, a three notes per string exercise turns them into fast, even runs.

Play the D major scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the D major scale

Note	Degree	Interval	Semitones from root
D	1	Root	0
E	2	Major 2nd	2
F#	3	Major 3rd	4
G	4	Perfect 4th	5
A	5	Perfect 5th	7
B	6	Major 6th	9
C#	7	Major 7th	11

Structure

D major scale notes:

D E F# G A B C#

How the major scale is built:

The major scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, which gives the step pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11. That makes it a 7-note scale.

It is the parent scale of its own modal family.

It is also known as Ionian.

D Major Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

On one string (D)

Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 5

3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 2

3 notes per string — position 3

3 notes per string — position 4

3 notes per string — position 5

Chords in the D major scale

Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these chords.

Degree	Triad	Seventh chord
1	D	Dmaj7
2	Em	Em7
3	F#m	F#m7
4	G	Gmaj7
5	A	A7
6	Bm	Bm7
7	C#dim	C#m7(b5)

Scales with the same notes as D Major

These scales use exactly the same notes. Each one starts somewhere else, so the root and the mood change.

Scale	Starts on degree	Learn the scale
E Dorian	2	Dorian
F# Phrygian	3	Phrygian
G Lydian	4	Lydian
A Mixolydian	5	Mixolydian
B Minor	6	Minor
C# Locrian	7	Locrian

Other scales on D

Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.

D Major Pentatonic: drops the 4 and 7
D Lydian: #4 instead of 4
D Mixolydian: b7 instead of 7
D Harmonic Major: b6 instead of 6
D Ionian #5: #5 instead of 5

The major scale in other keys

C Major C# Major D Major Eb Major E Major F Major F# Major G Major Ab Major A Major Bb Major B Major

All about the major scale →

Keep learning

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher