D major scale on ukulele
The D major scale has the notes D E F# G A B C#. It is the scale of happy songs and most pop music. Use it for singable melodies over any chord in the major key.
Notes and degrees
| Note | D | E | F# | G | A | B | C# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
In the first five frets
Standard G C E A tuning (high G). The number is the fret; 0 is the open string.
| String | Frets (note) |
|---|---|
| G | 0 (G) · 2 (A) · 4 (B) |
| C | 1 (C#) · 2 (D) · 4 (E) |
| E | 0 (E) · 2 (F#) · 3 (G) · 5 (A) |
| A | 0 (A) · 2 (B) · 4 (C#) · 5 (D) |
Chords that fit
Over these chords the scale sounds in key. Aim for each chord's notes on the strong beats.
- DI
- Emii
- F#miii
- GIV
- AV
- Bmvi
- C#dimvii°
How to use it
- Start and end your phrases on D: that is where the scale rests.
- Over D, the safest notes are the chord tones. In the app, they show in green.
- Move by neighboring steps and leave space between phrases; rhythm matters as much as the note.
See also: chords in the key of D major · D minor · D major pentatonic · D minor pentatonic