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Scales Cheat Sheet

A Guide to Musical Scales For Guitarists

Notes and Key Siganature

Scale notes, degrees and key signature to D Major in Dorian mode.


D Major Scale notes and degrees

  • E
    Tonic   ( i )
  • F♯
    Supertonic   ( ii )
  • G
    Mediant   ( III )
  • A
    Subdominant   ( IV )
  • B
    Dominant   ( v )
  • C♯
    Submediant   ( vio )
  • D
    Leading tone   ( VII )

D Major Scale Key Signature

D Major scale key signature consists of 2 accidental(s) : F♯ C♯

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Scale formula

D Major in Dorian mode. Scale formula expressed in terms of (H)alf and (W)hole steps.


  • E  
  • W  
  • F♯  
  • H  
  • G  
  • W  
  • A  
  • W  
  • B  
  • W  
  • C♯  
  • H  
  • D  
  • W  
  • E
H - (H)alf step (1 note) W - (W)hole step (2 notes)

Chromatic scale

Chromatic scale note names for D Major scale.

E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯

Fretboard

Layout of notes in D Major scale on the guitar fretboard.


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯
B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯
G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯
D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯
A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯
E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯
:

Play or listen to D Major scale

Select instrument (optional) and press "Play" button to play all the unique notes in this key. Click or tap a note on the fretboard to play it.


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Positions

Fretboard positions for D Major in Dorian mode.


0 1 2 3 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D 4 D♯
G 1 G♯ A 3 A♯ B
D 1 D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
A 1 A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
2 3 4 5 6
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A 4 A♯
C♯ 1 D 2 D♯ E 4 F
A 1 A♯ B 3 C C♯
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D 4 D♯
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A 4 A♯
3 4 5 6 7
G 1 G♯ A 3 A♯ B 4
D 1 D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
A♯ B 2 C C♯ 4 D
F F♯ 2 G 3 G♯ A 4
C C♯ 2 D 3 D♯ E 4
G 1 G♯ A 3 A♯ B 4
5 6 7 8 9
A 1 A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
C C♯ 2 D 3 D♯ E
G 1 G♯ A 3 A♯ B 4
D 1 D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
A 1 A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
7 8 9 10 11
B 1 C C♯ 3 D 4 D♯
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A 4 A♯
D 1 D♯ E 3 F F♯
A 1 A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D 4 D♯
9 10 11 12 13
C♯ 1 D 2 D♯ E 4 F
G♯ A 2 A♯ B 4 C
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D 4 D♯
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A 4 A♯
C♯ 1 D 2 D♯ E 4 F
:
10 11 12 13 14
D 1 D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
A 1 A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
F F♯ 2 G 3 G♯ A
C C♯ 2 D 3 D♯ E 4
G 1 G♯ A 3 A♯ B 4
D 1 D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
:

 Notes  Fingers

Guitar Finger Names

1 - Index 2 - Middle 3 - Ring  4 - Pinky 

Intervals

Intervals between two notes in D Major scale.


Scale intervals

Intervals for any two of D Major in Dorian mode.

E F♯ G A B C♯ D
E U M2 m3 P4 P5 M6 m7
F♯ m7 U m2 m3 P4 P5 m6
G M6 M7 U M2 M3 Aug4 P5
A P5 M6 m7 U M2 M3 P4
B P4 P5 m6 m7 U M2 m3
C♯ m3 P4 Dim5 m6 m7 U m2
D M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7 U

Interval codes

U - Unison O - Octave
m2 - minor 2nd M2 - Major 2nd
m3 - minor 3rd M3 - Major 3rd
Aug4 - Augmented 4th P4 - Perfect 4th
Dim5 - Diminished 5th P5 - Perfect 5th
m6 - minor 6th M6 - Major 6th
m7 - minor 7th M7 - Major 7th

Finding an interval's name

In order to find interval name between two notes using the tables below:

  • a ) choose a note from the the first column of "Scale Intervals" table,
  • b ) choose a note from the first row of "Scale Intervals" table,
  • c ) find the cell of intersection for the column and the row your chosen notes are in in "Scale Intervals" table,
  • d ) read interval code from the cell,
  • e ) decode interval code using "Interval Codes" table (optional).

Interval counts

Counts of intervals found in D Major scale.

Interval U M2 m2 m3 M3 P4 Aug4 Dim5 P5 M6 m6 m7 M7
Count 7 5 2 4 3 6 1 1 6 4 3 5 2

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Pentatonic

Pentatonic for D Major in Dorian mode.


D Major pentatonic consists of the following notes: E,F♯,G,B,C♯

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯
B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯
G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯
D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯
A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯
E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C C♯ D D♯
:

Play or listen to D Major pentatonic

Press "Play" button to play all the unique notes in this key. Click or tap a note on the fretboard to play it.


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Positions for pentatonic

Postions for pentatonic of D Major in Dorian mode.


0 1 2 3 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D D♯
G 1 G♯ A A♯ B
D D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
A A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
2 3 4 5 6
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A A♯
C♯ 1 D D♯ E 4 F
A A♯ B 3 C C♯
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D D♯
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A A♯
3 4 5 6 7
G 1 G♯ A A♯ B 4
D D♯ E 3 F F♯ 4
A♯ B 2 C C♯ 4 D
F F♯ 2 G 3 G♯ A
C C♯ 2 D D♯ E 4
G 1 G♯ A A♯ B 4
7 8 9 10 11
B 1 C C♯ 3 D D♯
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A A♯
D D♯ E 3 F F♯
A A♯ B 3 C C♯ 4
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D D♯
9 10 11 12 13
C♯ 1 D D♯ E 4 F
G♯ A A♯ B 4 C
E 1 F F♯ 3 G 4 G♯
B 1 C C♯ 3 D D♯
F♯ 1 G 2 G♯ A A♯
C♯ 1 D D♯ E 4 F
:

 Notes  Fingers

Guitar Finger Names

1 - Index 2 - Middle 3 - Ring  4 - Pinky 

Modes

Modes of D Major scale (relative to Dorian mode).


Mode              
dorian E F♯ G A B C♯ D
phrygian F♯ G A B C♯ D E
lydian G A B C♯ D E F♯
mixolydian A B C♯ D E F♯ G
aeolian B C♯ D E F♯ G A
locrian C♯ D E F♯ G A B
ionian D E F♯ G A B C♯

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Relative Scale

Relative scale to D Major in Dorian mode.


Relative scale to this scale is B Natural Minor  Locrian .

See B Natural Minor locrian scale.

Scale Chords

Various chords for D Major scale. Chords in this section are usable with any mode of this scale.


Short name (without a leading note) and number of chords of a given type are given in [] and the () respectively. Major triad names consist of the leading note only, hence no short name is shown for them here.

Loading chords for this scale ...

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Chords Shapes

Chords shapes for chords built on D Major scale.


Chord shapes with root note on G, D, A or E string.

Root note on G string

  • Major Triad
    e 1
    B 2
    G 3
    D          
    A          
    E          
  • Minor Triad
    e 1
    B 2
    G 3
    D          
    A          
    E          
  • Diminished
    e 1
    B 3
    G 4
    D          
    A          
    E          
  • Suspended 2nd
    e 1
    B 2
    G 3
    D          
    A          
    E          
  • Suspended 4th
    e 1
    B 4
    G 3
    D          
    A          
    E          

Root note on D string

  • Major Triad
    e 2
    B 1
    G 3
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Minor Triad
    e 3
    B 2
    G 1
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Diminished
    e 3
    B 1
    G 2
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Suspended 2nd
    e 3
    B 2
    G 1
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Suspended 4th
    e 2
    B 1
    G 4
    D 3
    A          
    E          
  • Major 7th
    e 1
    B 2
    G 3
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Minor 7th
    e 1
    B 3
    G 2
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Dominant 7th
    e 1
    B 2
    G 3
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Half-diminished 7th
    e 1
    B 2
    G 3
    D 4
    A          
    E          
  • Major 6th
    e 4
    B 2
    G 3
    D 1
    A          
    E          
  • Minor 6th
    e 3
    B 2
    G 4
    D 1
    A          
    E          
  • Major 9th
    e 3
    B 4
    G 1
    D 2
    A          
    E          
  • Minor 9th
    e 3
    B 4
    G 1
    D 2
    A          
    E          
  • Major add9
    e 4
    B 1
    G 2
    D 3
    A          
    E          
  • Minor add9
    e 4
    B 2
    G 1
    D 3
    A          
    E          

Root note on A string

  • Major Triad
    e 1
    B 1 2
    G 1
    D 1 3
    A 1 4
    E          
  • Minor Triad
    e 1