Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
D Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
D Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-------------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-14-------------------------| A|----------10-12-13----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-13-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-18-| B|----------------------------------15-17-18----------| G|-------------------------14-15-17-------------------| D|----------------14-15-17----------------------------| A|----------15-17-------------------------------------| E|-15-17-18-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------17-18-20-| B|-------------------------------------18-20----------| G|----------------------------17-19-21----------------| D|-------------------17-19-20-------------------------| A|----------17-19-20----------------------------------| E|-17-18-20-------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------20-22-| B|----------------------------------20-22-------| G|-------------------------19-21-22-------------| D|----------------19-20-22----------------------| A|-------19-20-22-------------------------------| E|-20-22----------------------------------------|
How to play D Minor on guitar
Find the root first: D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every D on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 10–14. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
D Minor uses exactly the same notes as F major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the F Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | D |
| 2 | E |
| ♭3 | F |
| 4 | G |
| 5 | A |
| ♭6 | Bb |
| ♭7 | C |
Chords in D Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in D Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Dm7 | Tonic |
| ii° | Edim | Em7b5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | F | Fmaj7 | Mediant |
| iv | Gm | Gm7 | Subdominant |
| v | Am | Am7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | Bb | Bbmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | C | C7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise D Minor anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the D Minor Scale?
- The D Minor Scale has 7 notes: D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C.
- What chords are in the D Minor Scale?
- The chords of D Minor are Dm (i), Edim (ii°), F (♭III), Gm (iv), Am (v), Bb (♭VI), C (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play D Minor on the guitar?
- The root D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 10–14, and four more positions connect it up the neck.