Blues scale · 6 notes
D blues scale on guitar
The D blues scale has 6 notes: D, F, G, A♭, A and C. The minor pentatonic plus one “blue note”, the ♭5: six notes of pure blues.
Notes
- D
- F
- G
- A♭
- A
- C
Formula
1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W
Sound
Gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy
D blues on the whole fretboard
Every D blues note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, D, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
D at fret 10. 10th position: frets 10–13.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of D blues as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from D, the D blues scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 flat (A♭).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | F | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | G | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | A♭ | diminished 5th | 6 |
| 5 | A | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | C | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with D blues
A 6-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, D minor. Every note of D blues is in these chords’ key.
- iDmD · F · A
- ii°E°E · G · B♭
- ♭IIIFF · A · C
- ivGmG · B♭ · D
- vAmA · C · E
- ♭VIB♭B♭ · D · F
- ♭VIICC · E · G
Progressions to try
- Dm – Gm – Am i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- Dm – B♭ – Am i–♭VI–v
How to use D blues
Reach for it over 12-bar blues, blues-rock, and over dominant 7th chords and minor chords. Its sound is gritty, crying and unmistakably bluesy.
Tip: Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide or hammer through it on the way between the 4th and 5th rather than landing on it.
- The D blues scale is D minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” A♭. See D minor pentatonic.
Where to find D on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every D between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with D |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 10 |
| B (2nd) | 3 |
| G (3rd) | 7 |
| D (4th) | 0, 12 |
| A (5th) | 5 |
| Low E (6th) | 10 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as D blues. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
D blues scale FAQ
What notes are in the D blues scale?
The D blues scale has 6 notes: D, F, G, A♭, A and C. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. It contains 1 flat (A♭).
What chords go with the D blues scale?
The D blues scale is drawn from D minor, whose chords are Dm, E°, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C. It also works over a D blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the D blues scale on guitar?
The root, D, is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 10–13, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as D blues?
The D blues scale is D minor pentatonic plus the “blue note” A♭.