D♭ Major Scale
D? Major Scale
D? major is a scale you probably won't use as often as other major scales. It is not a frequent choice of key for guitar-based music. You will need it now and then, though, so it should be on your list of things to learn.
The key of D? has five flats. The notes of the D? major scale are D?, E?, F, G?, A?, B? and C. This is one of only two major scales that don't contain any of the open strings, the other being F?/G? major.
The B? minor scale uses the same notes, but starting from B? instead of D?. This makes it the relative minor of D? major. There are also other scales with the same notes, called the modes of the D? major scale.
Lets go over how to play a D? major scale in different places on the fretboard. It may be helpful to review bass scales and hand positions before going on.
D? Major Scale - Fourth Position
The first place where you can play a complete D? major scale is with your first finger over the third fret, as shown above in this fretboard diagram. This actually corresponds to fourth position in the hand positions of the major scale. Start the scale by playing D? and E? on the third string with your second and fourth fingers.
Next, play F, G? and A? on the second string with your first, second and fourth fingers.
Finish with B?, C and D? on the first string with your first, third and fourth fingers.
You can also play some notes below the first D?. C is a fret lower under your first finger, and you can play B? and A? with your fourth and second fingers on the fourth string.
D? Major Scale - Fifth Position
The next place to look at is fifth position, up with your first finger over the sixth fret. To start the scale here, play D? with your fourth finger on the fourth string. You can also play the C and B? below that with your third and first fingers.
After that, go up to the third string and play E?, F and G? with your first, third and fourth fingers. Then, play A? on the second string with your first finger.
Use your fourth finger rather than your third to play B?. This lets you shift your hand back one fret as you go.
Now, play C and D? with your first and second fingers on the first string to complete the scale. You can also play the E? above that with your fourth finger.
D? Major Scale - First Position
After fifth position is first position, several frets higher. Shift up so your first finger is over the eighth fret. The first D? here is under your second finger on the fourth string. Next, play E? with your fourth finger.
F, G? and A? are played on the third string with your first, second and fourth fingers. Then, play B?, C and D? on the second string with your first, third and fourth fingers. If you want to keep going, you can play E?, F and G? on the first string with your first, third and fourth fingers.
Next we come to second position, found by putting your first finger over the 11th fret. You can't do the complete scale from start to finish in second position, but you can go up from the second note. So, start with E?, F and G? on the fourth string with your first, third and fourth fingers.
Like fifth position (on page three), second position requires you to do a little shifting trick, this time on the third string.
Play A? with your first finger and B? with your fourth, moving your hand back a fret as you go.
Next, play C, D? and E? on the second string with your first, second and third fingers. On the first string, play F, G? and A? with your first, second and third fingers.
Finally, let's look at third position. You can play this a couple frets higher, or you can play third position an octave below that, with your first finger over the first fret. This is the lowest hand position for the D? major scale, but like second position, you can't actually play a complete scale from D? to D? here.
The first note you can play is F, with your first finger on the fourth string. Next, play G? and A? with your second and fourth fingers.
On the third string, play B?, C and D? with your first, third and fourth fingers. With the same fingers, play E?, F and G? on the second string. On the first string, you can play A? and B? with your first and third fingers.
D? major is a scale you probably won't use as often as other major scales. It is not a frequent choice of key for guitar-based music. You will need it now and then, though, so it should be on your list of things to learn.
The key of D? has five flats. The notes of the D? major scale are D?, E?, F, G?, A?, B? and C. This is one of only two major scales that don't contain any of the open strings, the other being F?/G? major.
The B? minor scale uses the same notes, but starting from B? instead of D?. This makes it the relative minor of D? major. There are also other scales with the same notes, called the modes of the D? major scale.
Lets go over how to play a D? major scale in different places on the fretboard. It may be helpful to review bass scales and hand positions before going on.
D? Major Scale - Fourth Position
The first place where you can play a complete D? major scale is with your first finger over the third fret, as shown above in this fretboard diagram. This actually corresponds to fourth position in the hand positions of the major scale. Start the scale by playing D? and E? on the third string with your second and fourth fingers.
Next, play F, G? and A? on the second string with your first, second and fourth fingers.
Finish with B?, C and D? on the first string with your first, third and fourth fingers.
You can also play some notes below the first D?. C is a fret lower under your first finger, and you can play B? and A? with your fourth and second fingers on the fourth string.
D? Major Scale - Fifth Position
The next place to look at is fifth position, up with your first finger over the sixth fret. To start the scale here, play D? with your fourth finger on the fourth string. You can also play the C and B? below that with your third and first fingers.
After that, go up to the third string and play E?, F and G? with your first, third and fourth fingers. Then, play A? on the second string with your first finger.
Use your fourth finger rather than your third to play B?. This lets you shift your hand back one fret as you go.
Now, play C and D? with your first and second fingers on the first string to complete the scale. You can also play the E? above that with your fourth finger.
D? Major Scale - First Position
After fifth position is first position, several frets higher. Shift up so your first finger is over the eighth fret. The first D? here is under your second finger on the fourth string. Next, play E? with your fourth finger.
F, G? and A? are played on the third string with your first, second and fourth fingers. Then, play B?, C and D? on the second string with your first, third and fourth fingers. If you want to keep going, you can play E?, F and G? on the first string with your first, third and fourth fingers.
Next we come to second position, found by putting your first finger over the 11th fret. You can't do the complete scale from start to finish in second position, but you can go up from the second note. So, start with E?, F and G? on the fourth string with your first, third and fourth fingers.
Like fifth position (on page three), second position requires you to do a little shifting trick, this time on the third string.
Play A? with your first finger and B? with your fourth, moving your hand back a fret as you go.
Next, play C, D? and E? on the second string with your first, second and third fingers. On the first string, play F, G? and A? with your first, second and third fingers.
Finally, let's look at third position. You can play this a couple frets higher, or you can play third position an octave below that, with your first finger over the first fret. This is the lowest hand position for the D? major scale, but like second position, you can't actually play a complete scale from D? to D? here.
The first note you can play is F, with your first finger on the fourth string. Next, play G? and A? with your second and fourth fingers.
On the third string, play B?, C and D? with your first, third and fourth fingers. With the same fingers, play E?, F and G? on the second string. On the first string, you can play A? and B? with your first and third fingers.
