D Indian Scale on Guitar
Take the open D string, add Eb, G, A and Bb, and the D Indian scale is complete. The Eb sits one fret above the root, and that close step defines the sound.
Fret 10 of the low E string supplies a second root. A drone on D underneath makes the pattern feel meditative, and all five notes also belong to Bb major, which helps when you move between scales.
Play the D indian scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the D indian scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Eb | b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 |
| G | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| A | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Bb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
Structure
D indian scale notes:
How the indian scale is built:
The indian scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 4 5 b6, which gives the step pattern H-WW-W-H-WW (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 5, 7, 8. That makes it a 5-note scale.
D Indian 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
Other scales on D
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- D Japanese: 2 instead of b2
- D Phrygian: adds the b3 and b7
- D Bizantine: adds the 3 and 7
- D Phrygian Dominant: adds the 3 and b7
The indian scale in other keys
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
