D blues scale
D blues scale is D – F – G – A♭ – A – C, with A♭. Formula 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
The notes, one step at a time
Counted in steps it goes W+H W H H W+H W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step and a half). The half steps fall between G–A♭ and A♭–A. The wide steps are D–F and A–C.
| Degree | Note | Interval from D | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | root | |
| ♭3 | F | minor third | |
| 4 | G | perfect fourth | |
| ♭5 | A♭ | tritone | |
| 5 | A | perfect fifth | |
| ♭7 | C | minor seventh |
What D blues sounds like
Add A♭ to D minor pentatonic and you get the D blues scale. Bend into it, slide through it, and resolve to the note either side of it.
A♭ is the blue note. Slide G – A♭ – A and back, and you've played the most recognizable phrase in the blues.
D blues scale is D minor pentatonic scale plus A♭. Hear D minor pentatonic scale and compare.
Where your hands go
Keyboard players: one black (A♭), five white.
15 notes fit in the box between frets 8 and 14, with D at the 10th fret of the low E string.
Chords to play under D blues scale
Every note of these chords is in the scale: Dm, Dm7, Dsus4, F, Fm, Fsus2, Gsus2, Csus2, Gsus4, Csus4, F6, Fm6.
D blues scale across the fretboard
Anchor points for D: low E string fret 10, A string fret 5. Treat the ♭5 as a passing note; slide through it rather than landing on it.
On the piano, D blues scale uses 1 black key (A♭) and 5 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's D–G, F–A♭, G–A, A♭–C, A–D, C–F.
Practice patterns for D blues scale
Running a scale straight up and down only teaches the order. These patterns use the same 6 notes and train your ear and fingers to jump around inside D blues scale.
- Three-note runs: D F G · F G A♭ · G A♭ A · A♭ A C · A C D.
- Target A♭: D A♭ D A♭ D: the ♭5, the blue note, squeezed between the 4th and 5th.
Try next, from D
Blues scale in every key
D blues scale: questions
What are the notes of the D blues scale?
D, F, G, A♭, A, C, D. As degrees: 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the D blues scale?
One: A♭.
What's the difference between D blues scale and D minor pentatonic scale?
It adds A♭.
What chords go with the D blues scale?
Any chord built only from its notes, for example Dm, Dm7, Dsus4, F, Fm and Fsus2. In a 12-bar blues in D it also works over the IV and V seventh chords, where the clashing notes are part of the sound.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.