D Major Pentatonic Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The D major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: D – E – F♯ – A – B. The major pentatonic is the major scale without its two most tense notes (the 4th and 7th), so every note sounds good over the key’s chords. It is sweet, open and singable: the sound of country licks, B.B. King and countless folk tunes, and the raga Bhupali in Indian music.

It is the yardstick the other scales are measured against. It has exactly the same notes as B minor pentatonic, started from a different root.

The explorer above is set to D major pentatonic: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 5 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

D major pentatonic scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from D	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	D	R	0	S
2	E	M2	2	R
3	F♯	M3	4	G
5	A	P5	7	P
6	B	M6	9	D

Steps between the notes: W W W+H W W+H (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any D and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

D major pentatonic scale positions on the guitar

Like every pentatonic scale, D major pentatonic has five box shapes with two notes on each string. Position 1 starts on D on the low E string at fret 10; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Box 1 frets 9–12	10 12	10 12	9 11	9 12	9 12	10 12
Box 2 frets 11–15	12 14	12 15	11 14	12 14	12 14	12 14
Box 3 frets 14–17	14 17	15 17	14 16	14 16	14 17	14 17
Box 4 frets 16–19	17 19	17 19	16 19	16 19	17 19	17 19
Box 5 frets 7–10	7 10	7 10	7 9	7 9	7 9	7 10

What D major pentatonic fits over

With 5 notes it is not used to build a whole key of chords; instead it sits over major chords, 6 chords and major 7th chords on the root, and most major-key progressions. With D as the root: D, D6, Dmaj7, Dadd9.

Where you hear it

D major pentatonic is used in country, southern rock, blues (in major), pop and folk. It sounds best over major chords, 6 chords and major 7th chords on the root, and most major-key progressions.

Backing tracks to practise D major pentatonic

D blues shuffle D slow blues D major pop D major ballad D jazz ii – V – I D Mixolydian rock

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 9–12) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every D (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on D.