D Major

The D Major Scale:

D - E - F# - G - A - B - C#- D

In this course you're learning scale management and proficiency through focusing on one key at a time and exploring that key. The first part of this exploration is examining the locaton of each and every scale tone in the D Major Scale. In the visualization and improvisation exercise to the left the complete notes of the D Major Scale are illustrated.
Playing and practicing activities based on the Five Position CAGED System are centered around the ROOT NOTE, in this case "D" notes located on the two bass strings:

String 5, 5th fret

String 6, 10th fret

When you play along with the visualization and improvisation exercise to the left, you'll be trying to create small bits of melodic material right on the spot. This is not exercise in reciting scales but rather an exercise in improvising brief musical passages that interest you and capture your imagination. Passages that are catchy tuneful and short. For a start in improvising, this is easily accomplished by centering your activities, begining and ending your musical and melodic ideas on the ROOT NOTE,"D". For developmental purposes, limit the amount of scale tones in each of these ideas to 2, 3 or at most 4 other scale tones in addition to the ROOT NOTE,"D".
D Major Scale: D Type, Position X

Once again, our version of the Five Position CAGED System transposes, then changes the common open position fingering to a comfortable moveable one we've labeled the D TYPE. The open position D Major Scale is less thought of as a moveable pattern because there is not a "D" ROOT NOTE on the 5th or 6th string.

The scales are presented as play along ear training exercises similar to those you studied in the last lesson, listen carefully and practice with accuracy and precise finger placement.

  • Root On String 6,
  • Begin With A Stretch Of Finger 1.
Think of these scale exercises as songs or favorite melodies to be learned and studied for their major scale sound and quality.

D Major Scale: C Type, Position III

The C TYPE pattern in the key of D is neatly sitting, not requiring stretching otr sliding out of position, in position II. It's very important that you're comfortable with all the notes in the scale in the position.

  • Root On String 5,
  • Begin With Finger 4.

Because the open C scale is one of the first scale ideas most guitarists learn, most players find that this pattern is an easy one to improvise with.

 

D Major Scale: A Type, Position III

Our version of the A TYPE is quite unique, musical and effective because it covers a range of over two octaves. The play along exercise suggests common scale and melodic passages using the entire range of notes.

  • Root On String 5,
  • Begin With Finger 2.

 

D Major Scale: G Type, Position VII

In our version of the Five Positon CAGED System, the G TYPE of pattern is always thought of in relation to two critical facts:

  • Root On String 6,
  • Begin With Finger 4.

 

D Major Scale: E Type, Position IX

The E TYPE of fingering pattern is the best known and most used form of a major scale. The scale is played and thought of in position IX, even though the lowest pitched root note is located on fret X. In this course, as you may have guessed, its two points of categorization are:

Root On String 6,

Begin With Finger 2.

 

Visualization Training, 5 Position System: D Major Scale

To the rightr is an animated graphic containing a play along track using a simple D major vamp. As you play and practice try to create melodic material and interesting scale ideas.

The practice of finding chord tones or pieces of certain chords within the scale can make a solo sound musical, as you have no doubt learned well by learning to play the classical and traditional melodic studies found eaerlier in this course.

The same type of concentration, mental exerecise and learning, used when reciting melodies has positive effects on developing improvisational skills.

Conclusion......

Here we've focused our Five CAGED Position System on the key of D, As you learn and internalize the Five CAGED Position System in the key of D, remember our four cornerstones of thought:

  • Visualizing The Fingering Patterns.
  • Playing The Scales And Scale Passages As Play Along Ear Training Exercises.
  • Knowing The Root Notes Of The Scale Located On Strings Six And Five.
  • The Finger Used To Begin The Pattern.

Playing and improvising in any of the 12 keys of music ideally involves shifting freely between any one of the 5 scale patterns, to any other one of the 5 scale patterns (e.g. Lowest directly to highest or highest directly to lowest)as the music dictates.