D Major Scale
The D major scale (also called D Ionian) contains D – E – F# – G – A – B – C#. Its key signature has 2 sharps: F# and C#.
| Note | D | E | F# | G | A | B | C# | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Piano fingering for one octave going up; 1 is the thumb. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.
D major scale fingering
Right hand, going up: the thumb tucks under to G. Left hand, going up: finger 3 crosses over the thumb to B. Practise each hand alone, slowly, until the turns are smooth, then play hands together.
Key signature
D major has 2 sharps: F# and C#. Its relative minor is B minor, which uses the same notes and key signature. See the chords in the key of D major and of B minor.
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Semitones from D |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | 0 |
| 2 | E | 2 |
| 3 | F# | 4 |
| 4 | G | 5 |
| 5 | A | 7 |
| 6 | B | 9 |
| 7 | C# | 11 |
Step pattern
The Major scale is built from the pattern W – W – H – W – W – W – H (W = whole step, H = half step). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same mode in a different key.
Chords in D Major
Building a triad on each degree of the scale gives you the chords that belong to it. These are the chords to reach for when writing in D Major.
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | D | D F# A |
| 2 | ii | Em | E G B |
| 3 | iii | F#m | F# A C# |
| 4 | IV | G | G B D |
| 5 | V | A | A C# E |
| 6 | vi | Bm | B D F# |
| 7 | vii° | C#dim | C# E G |
Other modes on D
More scales on D
Major scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the D Major scale?
The D Major scale contains D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, then returns to D an octave higher.
What is the fingering for the D major scale on piano?
Going up from D to D, the right hand plays 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 and the left hand plays 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1, where 1 is the thumb. Coming down, use the same fingers in reverse.
How many sharps are in D major?
D major has 2 sharps: F# and C#.
What is the step pattern of the Major scale?
The Major scale follows the whole/half step pattern W – W – H – W – W – W – H, where W is a whole step (two semitones) and H is a half step (one semitone).
Which chords work with the D Major scale?
The diatonic chords are D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim. Each is built only from notes of the D Major scale, so they all belong to the same tonality — though the diminished chord carries a tritone and normally wants to resolve.