D Blues Scale on Piano

The D Blues scale sounds gritty and vocal. It runs D – F – G – Ab – A – C and is written with one flat.

It shares its key signature with F major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

W+HWHHW+HWCb7DbD1EbEFb3GbG4Abb5A5BbB

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

The minor pentatonic with a chromatic passing note squeezed between the 4th and the 5th. That blue note is a decoration, not a destination — it works best slid through on the way somewhere else.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-4-1-2-3

Left Hand (ascending)

5-4-3-2-1-2-1

Why this fingering

One black key (Ab) sits in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid it. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto A; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in D Blues

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
DD4Root (1)15
FF4Minor 3rd (b3)24
GG4Perfect 4th (4)33
AbAb4Tritone (b5)42
AA4Perfect 5th (5)11
CC5Minor 7th (b7)22
DD5Octave (8)31

Other Blues Scales

C Blues
C – Eb – F – Gb – G – Bb
C# Blues
C# – E – F# – G – G# – B
Eb Blues
Eb – Gb – Ab – A – Bb – Db
E Blues
E – G – A – Bb – B – D
F Blues
F – Ab – Bb – B – C – Eb
F# Blues
F# – A – B – C – C# – E
G Blues
G – Bb – C – Db – D – F
G# Blues
G# – B – C# – D – D# – F#
A Blues
A – C – D – Eb – E – G
Bb Blues
Bb – Db – Eb – E – F – Ab
B Blues
B – D – E – F – F# – A

Other D Scales

D Major
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C#
D Natural Minor
D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C
D Harmonic Minor
D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C#
D Melodic Minor
D – E – F – G – A – B – C#
D Major Pentatonic
D – E – F# – A – B
D Minor Pentatonic
D – F – G – A – C
D Dorian
D – E – F – G – A – B – C
D Mixolydian
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C
D Chromatic
D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B – C – C#