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D minor hexatonic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, G, A, C#, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12

A string: A, C#, D, E, F, G, A at frets 0, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

D string: D, E, F, G, A, C#, D at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 12

G string: G, A, C#, D, E, F, G at frets 0, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

B string: C#, D, E, F, G, A at frets 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10

High E string: E, F, G, A, C#, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12

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D minor hexatonic

The minor hexatonic is a six note scale: root, 2nd, flat 3rd, 4th, 5th, major 7th. It is harmonic minor with the flat 6th omitted, keeping the dramatic leading tone while removing the scale's most dissonant rub. The result is a clean minor sound with a strong pull home, handy over minor and minor-major 7th chords alike.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

I

E

II

F

bIII

G

IV

A

V

C♯

VII

minor hexatonic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Hear D minor hexatonic as harmonic minor minus the flat 6th: the drama of the leading tone (C#) without the augmented-2nd gap.
  • Over a minor-major 7th chord, arpeggiate root, bIII (F), V, VII and use the 2nd (E) and 4th (G) as connecting steps.
  • End phrases VII up to D; with no b6 (Bb) in the way, the resolution sounds clean rather than exotic.
  • Use it when natural minor feels too soft and harmonic minor too Spanish; six notes split the difference.

How to play D minor hexatonic on guitar

Five of the six open strings belong here, everything but the B, so you can let the guitar ring and stay in key. Open D is the root itself, which means a bass pedal needs no left hand at all. Roots repeat on the B string at fret 3 and on the A at fret 5. Fretted material tied to the low root at fret 10 stops before fret 14, so the climb up begins from there. One sharp in the signature.

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