STRINGSCALES

D minor Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

A string: A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

D string: D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

G string: G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

B string: C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

High E string: E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

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D minor

The minor scale, also called natural minor or aeolian, shares its notes with the major scale three frets up but centers them on a darker home chord. The flat 3rd sets the minor sound, and the flat 6th gives it the heavy, melancholic pull that drives rock, metal and film ballads. Compare it with the harmonic and melodic minor, which each raise degrees to strengthen the resolution to the root.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

i

Dm
E

ii°

Edim
F

bIII

Fmaj
G

iv

Gm
A

v

Am
B♭

bVI

B♭maj
C

bVII

Cmaj

Characteristic note: Bb (b6), the flat sixth that separates natural minor from dorian.

Same notes, different mode

D minor 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 locrianF major · relative majorG dorianA phrygianBb lydianC mixolydian

minor in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Anchor your D minor phrases on the flat 3rd (F) and flat 7th (C); they are what separate the minor sound from D major.
  • Let the flat 6th (Bb) fall to the 5th (A) at phrase endings for the classic minor lament.
  • Solo over a i-bVI-bVII vamp in D minor: all three chords live inside the scale, so every scale tone works somewhere.
  • Swap to D harmonic minor on the V chord (raise bVII (C) to VII) to hear why that raised 7th exists, then fall back to natural minor on the i.

How to play D minor on guitar

Open D gives you the root as a drone, with open A a fifth above it, so bass notes for the whole key cost zero fretting fingers. Five of the six open strings belong to D minor; only the B string sits outside. F major uses the same fingerings, which means any F major pattern you know already contains this key. A-shape barre lands at fret 5, E-shape at 10.

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