D♯ minor pentatonic scale
D♯ minor pentatonic is D♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ C♯. Minor pentatonic: five notes from natural minor without the second and sixth, the core scale of blues and rock guitar and of countless solos.
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
- Steps
- W+H W W W+H W
- Notes
- 5
- Key signature
- 6 sharps
- Also written
- E♭ minor pentatonic
Notes and degrees
The D♯ minor pentatonic scale has five notes: D♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ C♯. Each degree is named by its distance from the tonic, D♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval above D♯ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | ||
| 2 | m3 | ||
| 3 | P4 | ||
| 4 | P5 | ||
| 5 | m7 |
On the piano
Every key of the scale is lit in its own colour. Click one to hear it.
On the guitar
Every D♯ scale tone on the first twelve frets in standard tuning. The tonic is ringed. Click a dot to hear the note.
What it sounds like
The minor pentatonic keeps degrees 1, ♭3, 4, 5, and ♭7 of natural minor and drops the second and sixth. Its intervals are minor thirds and whole steps, so it contains no semitones. The minor third above the tonic gives the minor color. Without the second and sixth, no note leans strongly toward the tonic, which lets melodies move freely and makes bends and slides sound expressive in blues and rock. That freedom explains why improvisers rely on it.
Where you hear it
The minor pentatonic is the basic scale of blues and rock guitar soloing. Players use it over minor and dominant chords alike, and it also appears in country, folk, and gospel melodies. Jazz players use it over minor seventh chords as a simple first scale. Its shapes are widely taught as the starting point for improvisation on guitar and piano, and many rock solos are built from one of its positions. Pop and rock hooks often use its five notes.
How it is built
The minor pentatonic is derived from natural minor by removing the second and sixth degrees, so its parent is natural minor. Its relative major pentatonic has the same five notes. On C, it is C E♭ F G B♭, the same notes as E♭ major pentatonic. Its flat seventh matches the dominant seventh chord. On a C7 chord, its flat third sits against the major third, which is the source of the blues tension.
Scales with the same notes
These scales use the same five pitches as D♯ minor pentatonic, starting from a different note.
Other D♯ scales
- D♯ natural minor
- D♯ harmonic minor
- D♯ melodic minor
- D♯ Dorian
- D♯ Phrygian
- D♯ Mixolydian
- D♯ Locrian
- D♯ major pentatonic
- D♯ blues
- D♯ diminished (whole–half)
- D♯ Phrygian dominant
- D♯ altered
How to practise it
Play C minor pentatonic ascending and descending, then play its movable shape in A and E to hear the same pattern in new keys. Sing the scale against a drone on C, and bend E♭ slightly toward E to hear the blues color. Play a slow twelve-bar blues in C and use only these five notes for one full chorus, then add G♭ as a passing tone toward G.
Enharmonic spelling
D♯ and E♭ are the same pitch, so this scale can also be written as E♭ minor pentatonic: E♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ D♭. The spelling that needs fewer accidentals is the one you will usually meet.
Further reading
- Pentatonic and Blues Scales: Patterns With a PurposeFundamentals · 6 min
- The Twelve-Bar Blues: Form, Chord Plan and VariationsForm · 8 min
Questions
What are the notes of the D♯ minor pentatonic scale?
The D♯ minor pentatonic scale is D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯. Written ascending it returns to D♯ an octave higher.
What is the formula for the D♯ minor pentatonic scale?
The formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 measured from the major scale. As steps that is W+H, W, W, W+H, W (W is a whole step, H a half step).
What key signature does D♯ minor pentatonic use?
D♯ minor pentatonic is written with 6 sharps in the key signature.
What notes are in the minor pentatonic scale?
The minor pentatonic uses the first, flat third, fourth, fifth, and flat seventh degrees of natural minor. On C it is C E♭ F G B♭, and on A it is A C D E G. The second and sixth are removed, so the scale has no semitones and no leading tone.
How is the blues scale different from the minor pentatonic?
The blues scale adds one note to the minor pentatonic: the flat fifth, often called the blue note. On C, the blues scale is C E♭ F G♭ G B♭, where G♭ is the added note. It forms a half step with the fifth, which creates the tension that blues melody relies on.
Can I use minor pentatonic over a major chord?
Yes, with care. Over a major chord, the flat third clashes with the major third, so players usually keep that note short or bent. Notes that agree with the chord, such as the root and the fifth, sound stable. Over a dominant seventh chord, the flat seventh fits the chord, so the scale works well there.