D Minor Pentatonic Scale (D F G A C)
D minor pentatonic is D F G A C. The open D string is a root, and so is the tenth fret of the low E. The solo in Another Brick in the Wall runs on these five notes.
Fretboard diagram
Every D minor pentatonic note from the open strings to fret 22. At fret 12 the map starts over an octave up.
Notes in this scale
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | D |
| ♭3 | minor third | F |
| 4 | perfect fourth | G |
| 5 | perfect fifth | A |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | C |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets D sits on the low E string at fret 10, the A string at fret 5, the D string open and at fret 12, the G string at fret 7, the B string at fret 3, and the high E string at fret 10. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
Over a Dm chord, three of the five notes are chord tones, D, F, and A. Those always sound settled. The other two pull toward a chord tone a fret or two away, and hearing which way they pull is most of what practice is for. Over a Dm7 the C joins the settled list.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
F major pentatonic is these five notes with F as home. Same frets, different landing spots.
Chords it fits over
Dm, Dm7, and, for the blues, plain D7.
Nearby keys
D minor pentatonic FAQ
What notes are in the D minor pentatonic scale?
D minor pentatonic contains D, F, G, A, and C. That's the root, the minor third, the perfect fourth, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
What fret does D minor pentatonic start on?
The lowest root is D at fret 10 on the low E string, and most players anchor there. The scale itself covers the whole neck, and everything repeats twelve frets higher.
What major scale has the same notes as D minor pentatonic?
F major pentatonic. D is the relative minor of F, so the five notes are identical everywhere on the neck. Only the note you treat as home changes.