Key guide
D major: scale, key signature and chords
D major has two sharps (F♯, C♯). Its scale is D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- F♯ C♯ — two sharps
- Scale notes
- D E F♯ G A B C♯
- Relative minor
- B minor
- Parallel minor
- D minor
- Dominant key
- A major
- Subdominant key
- G major
- On the piano
- 2 black keys and 5 white in the scale
The D major scale
The D major scale uses the notes D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, the major-scale pattern of whole and half steps (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) starting on D. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as F♯, C♯ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | tonic |
| 2 | E | supertonic |
| 3 | F♯ | mediant |
| 4 | G | subdominant |
| 5 | A | dominant |
| 6 | B | submediant |
| 7 | C♯ | leading tone |
Chords in D major
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | D F♯ A | D F♯ A C♯ | tonic |
| ii | E G B | E G B D | predominant |
| iii | F♯ A C♯ | F♯ A C♯ E | tonic substitute |
| IV | G B D | G B D F♯ | predominant |
| V | A C♯ E | A C♯ E G | dominant |
| vi | B D F♯ | B D F♯ A | tonic substitute |
| vii° | C♯ E G | C♯ E G B | dominant |
Chord progressions in D major
Four progressions worked out in D major, each one playable:
- I – V – vi – IV D – A – Bm – GThe four-chord loop under a large share of pop songs.
- ii – V – I Em – A – DThe standard jazz cadence: predominant, dominant, tonic.
- I – IV – V – I D – G – A – DThe plain three-chord cadence at the root of tonal harmony.
- I – vi – IV – V D – Bm – G – AThe 1950s progression: tonic, relative minor, subdominant, dominant.
Keys related to D major
- Relative minor: B minor — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: A major — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in D major modulate to.
- Subdominant: G major — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel minor: D minor — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in D major?
The D major scale is D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯.
How many sharps or flats are in D major?
D major has two sharps: F♯, C♯.
What is the relative minor of D major?
The relative minor of D major is B minor. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but B is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in D major?
The seven diatonic triads in D major are D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯°.