fuaranScale Mastery
SCALE · ON VIOLA

D Pentatonic Minor

Five notes — 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. The starting vocabulary of blues, rock, jazz solos. Works over almost any chord.

MEIMIDIHumdrum
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Meter:Octave per barCrotchets in 4/4Quavers in 4/4Triplets in 4/4
Engraved by Verovio 6.2.0-43f8060 5 title D Pentatonic Minor
Engraved by Verovio 6.2.0-43f8060 2 4 6 title D Pentatonic Minor
Verovio
Tempo120 bpm

Audio source: tonejs-instruments by Nick Brosowsky (MIT)

FingeringFollows the scale as it plays — written pitch, matches the staff
DC stringADGCoctave nodeoctave nodeoctave nodeoctave nodeACDFGADFGACDGACDFGACDFGACD
Related scales
Same scale, other instruments
Same scale, other tonics
Modes built on this tonic
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Theory reference
Questions
What notes are in the D Pentatonic Minor scale?

The D Pentatonic Minor scale uses the notes D, F, G, A, C (one octave; the pattern repeats at higher registers).

What's the Pentatonic Minor scale formula?

The Pentatonic Minor scale follows the interval pattern W+H W W W+H W, where W = whole step (2 semitones) and H = half step (1 semitone). Apply that pattern starting on D to get the D Pentatonic Minor scale.

What chords work over D Pentatonic Minor?

Minor pentatonic works over minor triads, m7, the I / IV / V of minor blues, and many dominant-7 vamps. The starting blues-rock vocabulary.

How do I finger D Pentatonic Minor on Viola?

On bowed strings, scales train both fingering and bow technique. First-position fingerings cover most scales up to one octave; second-, third-, and fourth-position shifts unlock the higher register. The 1-2-3-4 finger pattern adapts to the half-step + whole-step positions per scale.

When would I use the Pentatonic Minor scale?

Five notes — 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. The starting vocabulary of blues, rock, jazz solos. Works over almost any chord.