D Minor Pentatonic Scale On Guitar
The D minor pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale that is derived from the 7 note D minor scale.
Here you will find all 5 scale shapes, the correct fingerings, best picking for speed & accuracy and the notes of the scale so you will be able to easily play the scale and understand what's going on musically.
Dm is a very popular key for rock and metal so if you like those styles you're in the right place!
Click the tabs below to learn the various shapes and how they fit together across the fretboard.
Notes of D minor Pentatonic Scale Guitar Full Fretboard
Like all guitar scales, the notes span across the entire fretboard and at first glance it may seem a bit overwhelming. However, there are a lots of tricks for how to get them all memorized, easily change keys, and even break out of the box patterns.
Click on the different tabs to see the BOX PATTERNS. These patterns connect together like a puzzle that span across the entire fretboard.
What Are the 5 notes in the D minor pentatonic scale?
The 5 notes that make the D minor pentatonic scale are D F G A C. See the scale diagrams and fretboard above to see how these correlates to the fretboard.
Lets compare to the D minor pentatonic scale to the D minor scale to better understand whats going on:
D E F G E Bb C : D minor scale
D - F G E - C : D minor pentatonic scale
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What is the formula for the D minor pentatonic scale?
The D minor pentatonic formula consists of the 1 b3 4 5 b7 notes of the D minor scale it is derived from.
Here's an easy breakdown:
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 : D minor scale
1 - b3 4 5 - b7 : D minor pentatonic scale
The 2nd and b6 scale degrees have been removed from the D minor scale thus creating the D minor pentatonic scale.
Is D minor pentatonic the same as F major pentatonic?
Yes actually! They share the exact same notes so when you play any D minor pentatonic scale you are also playing the F major pentatonic scale. What determines which scale you are playing is the chord progressions underneath as the lead guitarist will harmonize with the notes of the chords being played.
What is the saddest pentatonic scale?
Minor scales tend to have a more dramatic and sad quality do them. On the flip side, major scales tend to be a bit more up beat and happy. Of all the minor scales D minor tends to sound the most sad to our ears.
Is the minor pentatonic the same as the blues scale?
Yes, The blues scale is exactly the same as the minor pentatonic except one note has been added which is the b5 of the key. Check out the break downs I have on the blues scales from the Scale Library page.
What chords are in D minor pentatonic Scale?
The basic chords that the D pentatonic scale works well with D Em F Gm Am Bb C. You can also turn all these into power chords such as: D5 E5 F5 G5 A5 Bb C5
If you need help learning these chords check out the Chord Library!