D major scale
D major scale is D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯, with F♯ and C♯. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Press play and follow the keys.
D major scale, note by note
Counted in steps it goes W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F♯–G and C♯–D.
| Degree | Note | Interval from D | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | |
| 2 | E | major second | |
| 3 | F♯ | major third | |
| 4 | G | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | A | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | B | major sixth | |
| 7 | C♯ | major seventh |
What D major sounds like
Every other scale on this site is described as the major scale with something changed, so D major is the reference point for anything in D.
The move that defines D major is A to D: the C♯ in A sits a half step under D and resolves up to it.
Compared with D natural minor scale, D major scale has F♯, B and C♯ where the other has F, B♭ and C; the other four notes are shared. Hear D natural minor scale and compare.
Where your hands go
F♯ and C♯ are on black keys; the rest are white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 10th fret of the low E string and spans frets 8–14: 17 notes, low string to high.
The key of D major
Songs in D major are built from these notes, so the key signature has two sharps (F♯, C♯). The relative minor is B minor: same notes, starting on the 6th degree. The parallel minor, D natural minor, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in D major
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
If you know D major scale, you already know the notes of C♯ Locrian (starting on the 7th note, C♯), E Dorian (starting on the 2nd note, E), F♯ Phrygian (starting on the 3rd note, F♯), G Lydian (starting on the 4th note, G), A Mixolydian (starting on the 5th note, A) and B natural minor (starting on the 6th note, B).
D major scale across the fretboard
Find D first: fret 10 of the 6th string, fret 5 of the 5th. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12) and you'll have it everywhere. On guitar, learn the box from the 6th-string root first; the same fingering moves anywhere.
On the piano, D major scale uses 2 black keys (F♯ and C♯) and 5 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: D–F♯, E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C♯, B–D, C♯–E.
Practice patterns for D major scale
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: D E F♯ · E F♯ G · F♯ G A · G A B · A B C♯ · B C♯ D.
- Lean on C♯: D C♯ D C♯ D: the 7th, a half step under the root, pulls the ear home.
Scales to compare with D major
Major scale in every key
D major scale: questions
What are the notes of the D major scale?
D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, D. As degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the D major scale?
Two: F♯ and C♯. That matches the key signature of D major.
What chords are in the D major scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives D (I), Em (ii), F♯m (iii), G (IV), A (V), Bm (vi) and C♯dim (vii°).
What's the difference between D major scale and D natural minor scale?
F♯, B and C♯ in D major; F, B♭ and C in the other. Everything else is the same.
Generated from the step pattern 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 and checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.