STRINGSCALES

D major pentatonic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F#, A, B, D, E at frets 0, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12

A string: A, B, D, E, F#, A at frets 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12

D string: D, E, F#, A, B, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 12

G string: A, B, D, E, F# at frets 2, 4, 7, 9, 11

B string: B, D, E, F#, A, B at frets 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12

High E string: E, F#, A, B, D, E at frets 0, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12

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D major pentatonic

The major pentatonic strips the major scale down to five notes: root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th. With no 4th or 7th there are no half steps, so nothing clashes over the underlying chord and everything sounds melodic. That is why it powers country bends, folk melodies and the friendlier side of classic rock soloing, and why it is many players' second scale after the minor pentatonic.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

I

E

II

F♯

III

A

V

B

VI

Same notes, different mode

D major pentatonic uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

E egyptianF# malkos ragaA ritusenB minor pentatonic

major pentatonic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Start from the minor pentatonic box you already know three frets above D: same shape, but treat D as home and the sound turns major.
  • Bend the 2nd (E) up to the 3rd (F#) for the classic country and southern rock move.
  • With no 4th or 7th there are no avoid notes: over a D major vamp every tone lands, so focus on phrasing and timing instead of note choice.
  • Connect the five pentatonic boxes two at a time using slides on the G and B strings; that is how players make one scale cover the neck.

How to play D major pentatonic on guitar

Open D hands you the root before you fret anything, and open A, open B, and both E strings belong to the scale as well, so drone figures over a ringing bass work from the start. Root-position box begins at fret 10 and closes at fret 14, which lets tenth-position lead work sit under one hand. One sharp in the key signature. Same fingering reads as B minor pentatonic from 9 semitones up, with extra roots at fret 5 on the A string and fret 7 on the G string.

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