Chords in the key of
D Major
The notes of the D major scale are:
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C#
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| iv | ♭VI | ♭VII |
|---|---|---|
| Gmin | B♭ | C |
| G minor | B♭ major | C major |
| G - B♭ - D | B♭ - D - F♮ | C♮ - E - G |
The scale’s notes are numbered from 1 to 7 using Roman numerals. Build a basic triad (1-3-5) chord on each of those seven notes and you get:
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm | C#dim |
| D major | E minor | F# minor | G major | A major | B minor | C# diminished |
| D - F# - A | E - G - B | F# - A - C# | G - B - D | A- C# - E | B - D - F# | C# - E - G |
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Quick songwriter cheat sheet: Progressions in D Major
Bright but emotional:
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Reflective or dramatic:
Like a triumphant final chorus:
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That’s the diatonic set. If you stay strictly inside the key, these are your friends. The pattern of naming chords for every major key is:
Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major, Minor, Diminished. Numerals in UPPERCASE (I, IV, V) denote major chords, and numerals in lowercase (ii, iii, vi) denote minor chords.
Borrowed Chords: the very common “but actually…” part
In a lot of music, D major often borrows from D minor for emotional weight.
That lowers F# to F♮ (natural), B to B♭, and C# to C♮ (natural), giving you: D – E – F♮ – G – A – B♭ – C♮
The altered scale affects D major’s IV, vi & vii° chords, creating the following changes:
Common extended chords you’ll hear constantly