D major scale
The D major scale is D E F# G A B C#. It follows the whole step and half step formula W-W-H-W-W-W-H, with degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. It is the best known and the one used as a reference to describe the others.
- Notes
- D E F# G A B C#
- Formula in degrees
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
- Steps
- W-W-H-W-W-W-H
W = whole step (2 half steps), H = half step (1 half step) and W½ = a whole step and a half (3 half steps).
On the fretboard
All the notes of the scale from fret 0 to 12, with the root highlighted. You can see the names or the degrees, and listen to it from the root up to the octave.
What the notes show
Relative scale
The relative of D major is B natural minor: it has the same notes, but starts on B.