Standard tuning · 5 positions · notes & degrees
D Blues Scale on Guitar
The D blues scale has 6 notes — D F G Ab A C (1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7). The minor pentatonic plus one "blue note" (the ♭5) — the gritty passing tone that makes a lick sound like the blues. Below: every note on the neck, 5 positions to learn (two notes per string), the chords that fit, and a backing track to jam over.
D blues scale: the whole neck
5 positions to learn
Each position covers four or five frets so you can play the scale without moving your hand. Learn position 1 first (it starts on the root, D, at fret 10 of the low E string), then join it to the next one up the neck. Press ▶ Play to hear a position up and back down.
Jam over it
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval from D | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | F | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | G | perfect 4th | 5 |
| ♭5 | Ab | diminished 5th (♭5) | 6 |
| 5 | A | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | C | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with the D blues scale
These chords are built from the natural minor scale it comes from, so the blues scale fits over all of them. Tap a chord to see how to play it.
How to practise it
- Slow and even first: play position 1 up and down with the metronome at 60–70 BPM, one note per click, then two.
- Say the notes: switch the view to Degrees and land on the root (D) at the end of every phrase — that is what makes a solo sound finished.
- Connect the positions: once two positions feel easy, slide between them on one string so the neck becomes one big map.
- Make music, not exercises: start the backing above and play short phrases with gaps between them.
Blues scale in other keys
Other scales in D
New to scales? Start with the guitar scales guide, learn the notes with fretboard notes, or test your ear with the daily challenge.
Questions
What notes are in the D blues scale?
D, F, G, Ab, A, C. As scale degrees that is 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7.
How do you play the D blues scale on guitar?
Start with position 1: it begins on D at fret 10 of the low E string and covers frets 10–13, two notes per string. The diagrams on this page show every position and the whole neck.
What is the blues scale used for?
It is used in blues, rock, jazz and soul. The minor pentatonic plus one "blue note" (the ♭5) — the gritty passing tone that makes a lick sound like the blues.