The key of D minor on mandolin
D E F G A B♭ C — and everything inside it.
The key of D minor on mandolin: the scale, the chord on every degree, the seventh chords and the pentatonics — drawn above, each a tap away. The row of chips over the mandolin is the key’s chords; the dropdown switches it to seventh chords or pentatonics, the shape menu draws a chord as one grip at a time, and a tap on any note finds the chords that hold it. For the why, read chords in a key, the minor scale.
The notes of D minor
D minor is D E F G A B♭ C: the minor scale on D, seven notes, labeled 1 to 7 on the mandolin above. The scale on its own, in every position, is on its page.
The chords in D minor
The triad on each degree, stacked from the key’s own notes; the numeral’s case is the chord’s quality. The explorer above draws the six you can rest on.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | D F A |
| ii° | E° — passed through, not rested on | E G B♭ |
| III | F | F A C |
| iv | Gm | G B♭ D |
| v | Am | A C E |
| VI | B♭ | B♭ D F |
| VII | C | C E G |
The seventh chords in D minor
One more third on each — the row on “Tetrads” above.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i7 | Dm7 | D F A C |
| iiø7 | Em7♭5 — passed through, not rested on | E G B♭ D |
| IIImaj7 | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| iv7 | Gm7 | G B♭ D F |
| v7 | Am7 | A C E G |
| VImaj7 | B♭maj7 | B♭ D F A |
| VII7 | C7 | C E G B♭ |
The pentatonics in D minor
The five-note scale on each degree that fits inside the key — major where the degree’s chord is major, minor where it is minor. The row on “Pentatonics” above.
| Degree | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Dm pent | D F G A C |
| ii | Em pent — not in the key | E G A B D |
| III | F pent | F G A C D |
| iv | Gm pent | G B♭ C D F |
| v | Am pent | A C D E G |
| VI | B♭ pent | B♭ C D F G |
| VII | C pent | C D E G A |
The same notes from another home
Relative major: F major. Parallel major, the same root with different notes: D major.