Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
D Yo Scale
Pentatonic scale 1 2 4 5 6 with no half steps and no 3rd. It is called ritusen in Indian music.
Tap any note to hear it.
D Yo 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-| B|-------------------10-12-------| G|----------------12-------------| D|-------------12----------------| A|-------10-12-------------------| E|-10-12-------------------------|
e|-------------------------------12-15-| B|-------------------------12-15-------| G|-------------------12-14-------------| D|-------------12-14-------------------| A|-------12-14-------------------------| E|-12-15-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------15-17-| B|-------------------------15-17-------| G|-------------------14-16-------------| D|-------------14-17-------------------| A|-------14-17-------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------|
e|----------------------------17-19-| B|----------------------17-20-------| G|-------------------19-------------| D|-------------17-19----------------| A|-------17-19----------------------| E|-17-19----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------19-22-| B|-------------------------20-22-------| G|-------------------19-21-------------| D|-------------19-21-------------------| A|-------19-22-------------------------| E|-19-22-------------------------------|
How to play D Yo 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 (4, 5), 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 10–13. 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.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | D |
| 2 | E |
| 4 | G |
| 5 | A |
| 6 | B |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise D Yo 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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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the D Yo Scale?
- The D Yo Scale has 5 notes: D, E, G, A, B.
- What is the formula of the yo scale?
- 1 2 4 5 6, which is the step pattern W W+H W W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play D Yo 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 10–13, and four more positions connect it up the neck.