Minor scale · 7 notes
D minor scale on guitar
The D minor scale has 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, B♭ and C. The natural minor scale: the major scale’s darker twin, with a ♭3, ♭6 and ♭7.
Notes
- D
- E
- F
- G
- A
- B♭
- C
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, sad or serious, without being exotic
D minor on the whole fretboard
Every D minor 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. 9th position: frets 9–13.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of D minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from D, the D minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 flat (B♭). Compared with D major, it has F (♭3) instead of F♯, B♭ (♭6) instead of B and C (♭7) instead of C♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | 0 |
| 2 | E | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | F | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | G | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | A | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | B♭ | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | C | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in D minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to D minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in D minor.
- iDmD · F · ADm7
- ii°E°E · G · B♭Em7♭5
- ♭IIIFF · A · CFmaj7
- ivGmG · B♭ · DGm7
- vAmA · C · EAm7
- ♭VIB♭B♭ · D · FB♭maj7
- ♭VIICC · E · GC7
Progressions to try
- Dm – B♭ – F – C i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- Dm – Gm – Am i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- Dm – C – B♭ – C i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- Dm – Gm – C – F i–iv–♭VII–♭III · circle movement
How to use D minor
Reach for it over songs in a minor key, over minor and minor 7th chords, and in rock, metal, pop ballads and folk. Its sound is dark, sad or serious, without being exotic.
Tip: Every minor scale shares its notes with a major scale three frets higher. If you know G major, you already know E minor: just treat E as home.
- D minor is the relative minor of F major, so the two share all seven notes. See F major.
- D minor contains exactly the notes of F major, played from its Aeolian note, D. See F major.
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 minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
D minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the D minor scale?
The D minor scale has 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, B♭ and C. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 1 flat (B♭).
What chords are in D minor?
Harmonising the D minor scale in thirds gives Dm (i), E° (ii°), F (♭III), Gm (iv), Am (v), B♭ (♭VI) and C (♭VII).
Where do you play the D minor 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 9–13, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as D minor?
D minor is the relative minor of F major, so the two share all seven notes. D minor contains exactly the notes of F major, played from its Aeolian note, D.