Major key
D major
Its seven chords: D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯dim.
- D1
- E2
- F♯3
- G4
- A5
- B6
- C♯7
- I–V–vi–IV
- D
- A
- Bm
- G
- ii7–V7–Imaj7
- Em7
- A7
- Dmaj7
- I–IV–V
- D
- G
- A
- vi–IV–I–V
- Bm
- G
- D
- A
- I–vi–IV–V
- D
- Bm
- G
- A
- I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
- D
- A
- Bm
- F♯m
- G
- D
- G
- A
About D major
D major is built on the notes D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C♯. It has 2♯ in the signature (F♯, C♯), so every note of its scale is either a white key or one of those sharps or flats; nothing else is needed. The first note is the home note: melodies in D major tend to come back to it, and the music feels finished when they do.
The three main chords are D, G and A, the I, IV and V of the key. They contain every note of the scale between them, so a melody in D major can almost always be accompanied by one of the three. The minor chords on degrees ii, iii and vi add softer colours, and the diminished chord on vii (C♯dim) is a short moment of tension.
Its relative key is B minor: the same notes and the same signature, starting from B. Many pieces move between the two, and the chords of one are the chords of the other in a different order. The parallel key, D minor, starts on the same note but has a different signature.
On the circle of fifths, D major sits between G major and A major. Those neighbouring keys differ by only one note, so pieces in D major often visit them: the V chord of the key (A) is the home chord of A major, and the IV chord (G) is the home chord of G major.
On guitar, D major is friendly: 4 of its main chords can be played as open shapes without a barre, so it is a good key for beginners and for singing along.
To get to know the key, play the scale slowly, then the chords in order from I to vii, saying the Roman numerals aloud. Then try the progressions above with the play button and play along at a steady tempo.