The Key of D major
D major is D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯.
Why this key
D major gives you the brightest open chords on the instrument — D, G, A and Bm — and both the D and A strings ring open as roots. It is the key of fiddle tunes and a lot of acoustic songwriting, and dropping the low E to D to get a sixth open string underneath it is one of the oldest tricks on the guitar.
Every chord in D major
Seven chords, built on each note of the scale in turn.
| Numeral | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| I | D | major |
| ii | Em | minor |
| iii | F#m | minor |
| IV | G | major |
| V | A | major |
| vi | Bm | minor |
| vii° | C#dim | dim |
The scale, on the neck
D major — D E F♯ G A B C♯.
D Major (Ionian)
the plain major scaleNotesDEF♯GABC♯
Chord-Scale Reference §2 / §7.5
Want more?
Hear these chords, change the key, and see every voicing in Turnaround