D Blues Scale
The D blues scale contains D – F – G – Ab – A – C. It is D minor pentatonic plus one added note, the blue note Ab, between the 4th and 5th. It is also called the minor blues scale.
D blues scale chart
Pentatonic and blues scales have no standard book fingering, so none is shown here. Pick fingers that keep your thumb off the black keys.
D blues vs D minor pentatonic
| Degree | 1 | b3 | 4 | b5 | 5 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic | D | F | G | – | A | C |
| Blues | D | F | G | Ab | A | C |
The blue note is the only addition. It is a passing note, a half step from both G and A: slide through it on the way between them rather than resting on it.
What D blues is used for
It is the sound of blues soloing, and of a lot of rock and jazz too. A 12-bar blues in D uses three dominant 7th chords, D7, G7 and A7, and this one scale works over all of them. Its minor 3rd, F, clashes on purpose with the F# in D7, and that rub is the blues sound.
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from D | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | root | 0 |
| F | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| G | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| Ab | b5 | diminished 5th | 6 |
| A | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| C | b7 | minor 7th | 10 |
Step pattern
The blues scale is built from the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = three semitones). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same scale in a different key.
Key signature and accidentals
Blues is normally written with accidentals over the key signature of the piece. D minor has 1 flat: Bb, and the blue note Ab falls outside it, so it always takes an accidental. See the key of D minor for the chords of the minor key.
Chords using only these notes
The dominant 7th chords of a blues are not in this list because they contain notes outside the scale. These can be played with D blues alone.
| Chord | Notes |
|---|---|
| Dm | D F A |
| Ddim | D F Ab |
| Dm7 | D F A C |
| Dsus4 | D G A |
| F | F A C |
| Fm | F Ab C |
| Fsus2 | F G C |
| Fmaj6 | F A C D |
| Fm6 | F Ab C D |
| Gsus2 | G A D |
| Gsus4 | G C D |
| Csus2 | C D G |
| Csus4 | C F G |
More scales on D
Blues scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the D blues scale?
The D blues scale contains D, F, G, Ab, A, C, then returns to D an octave higher.
What is the blue note in D blues?
Ab, between the 4th (G) and the 5th (A).
What chords does the D blues scale work over?
A 12-bar blues in D: D7, G7, A7. It also fits D minor chords.
What is the step pattern of the blues scale?
It follows the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.