SCALE REFERENCE

D Major

D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The reference scale of Western music — bright, resolved, and the yardstick every other scale is described against.

Notes & degrees
D1E2F♯3G4A5B6C♯7
NotesD, E, F#, G, A, B, C#
StepsW – W – H – W – W – W – H (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledIonian
Piano
DEGABF♯C♯
Guitar & ukulele — every position (frets 0–12)
357912eEF♯GABC♯DEBBC♯DEF♯GABGGABC♯DEF♯GDDEF♯GABC♯DAABC♯DEF♯GAEEF♯GABC♯DE

Root notes are red. The full map of the scale on the guitar neck; the common box patterns are groups of these notes.

357912AABC♯DEF♯GAEEF♯GABC♯DECC♯DEF♯GABGGABC♯DEF♯G

The same scale on a ukulele in standard G–C–E–A tuning.

Chords in the key
DegreeTriad7th chord
IDDmaj7
iiEmEm7
iiiF♯mF♯m7
IVGGmaj7
VAA7
viBmBm7
vii°C♯dimC♯m7♭5

These are the chords built by stacking scale notes in thirds. Click through for each chord's own diagrams:

IDiiEmiiiF♯mIVGVAviBmvii°C♯dim
Common progressions in D major

I – V – vi – IV

D – A – Bm – G

I – IV – V

D – G – A

ii – V – I

Em – A – D

vi – IV – I – V

Bm – G – D – A

Hear these and thousands of real songs that use them in the Song Chords Database and the progressions reference.

Related keys
Relative minorB minorParallel minorD minor
Other scales on D

Core scales & modes

D Natural MinorD Harmonic MinorD Melodic MinorD DorianD PhrygianD LydianD MixolydianD Locrian

Pentatonic & blues

D Major PentatonicD Minor PentatonicD BluesD Major Blues

Jazz & altered

D Harmonic MajorD Phrygian DominantD Lydian DominantD AlteredD Bebop Dominant

Symmetric

D Whole ToneD Diminished (Whole–Half)D Diminished (Half–Whole)D Augmented Scale

World & exotic

D Hungarian MinorD Double Harmonic MajorD Neapolitan Minor
Major on another root
CC♯D♭DE♭EFF♯G♭GA♭AB♭B
Keep exploring

See the diatonic chords with audio in the Scale & Chord Finder, find where a key sits among the others on the Circle of Fifths, or start the free Cloud Atelier music guides.