D major pentatonic scale on banjo
The D major pentatonic scale has five notes: D, E, F♯, A and B (1 2 3 5 6). The major scale without its 4th and 7th: sweet and open. Country, pop and Southern rock solos live here; its boxes are the minor pentatonic's, moved down three frets.
| Note | D | E | F♯ | A | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Step to the next | whole | whole | 1½ | whole | 1½ |
3 positions to learn it in
Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the D major pentatonic scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; D (D) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (D) | Dhome | – |
| 2 (E) | Esus4the lift | – |
| 5 (A) | Asus4the pull | – |
| 6 (B) | Bmthe shadow | Bm7the shadow |
Scales with the same notes
Its relative minor pentatonic is the B minor pentatonic scale: the same notes, started from B.
Questions
What notes are in the D major pentatonic scale?
D, E, F♯, A and B. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 3 5 6, and the steps between its notes are W W W+H W W+H (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the D major pentatonic scale?
The chords made only of its notes: D, Esus4, Asus4 and Bm, and as seventh chords Bm7. D is home: D is the chord it sounds most settled over.
What is the relative minor pentatonic of the D major pentatonic scale?
The B minor pentatonic scale, which has the same notes started from B.
The major pentatonic scale in every key
Other scales in D
D majorD minorD minor pentatonicD bluesD DorianD MixolydianD LydianD PhrygianD harmonic minorD melodic minorD Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: banjo scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and mandolin.