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Catching Up II...

   The Key of D uses the notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C# and is also known as the (Key of B minor), Like most any other key there are most likely 100's of thousands of songs using this key, Any song in the 'Key of D' will use the same chords and scales...

   This is a great key like the Key of C because it also uses all six open strings, When learning the first scale position of this key you should not use your first finger but pretend you are holding down the open strings, This is so you can easily move the scale patterns up for the other keys...

Key of D...

   If you are really familiar with the scale patterns in the Key of C then you can put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the Key of C, It is better though if you can play without a capo...

Key of D...

   The 'minor scale' for this key is "B" so if somone talks about the "Key of B minor" then they are really talking about a minor mode within the Key of D, The main 'minor mode' this refers to is the Aeolian so the scale pattern you see below will be used for all 12 keys only it will be moved around...

Key of D...

   Here are the basic chords for the Key of D, this shows the Natural Chord Progression that they follow based on the tones starting from the key note... (a 13th chord is commonly referred to as a 6th chord - they are identical)

Chord name --------------------- Notes used

D major ------------------------- D F# A
D major 3rd -------------------- D F# ..
D 5 ------------------------------- D .. A

D major 7th --------------------- D F# A + C# 
D major add9 ------------------ D F# A + C# + E
D sus7 -------------------------- D .. A + C# 

D major 9th -------------------- D F# A + E
D sus2 -------------------------- D .. A + E  ------- (A major sus4)

D major 11th ------------------- D F# A + G
D sus4 --------------------------- D .. A + G

D major 6th/13th ------------- D F# A + B
D sus6 --------------------------- D .. A + B

Compare the D major 13th to the B minor 7th below

B minor -------------------------- B D F#
B minor 3rd --------------------- B D
B 5 -------------------------------- B .. F#

B minor 7th --------------------- B D F# + A
B minor add9 ------------------- B D F# + A + C#
B sus7 ---------------------------- B .. F# + A

B minor 9th ---------------------- B D F# + C#
B sus2 ---------------------------- B .. F# + C#  ------- (F# minor sus4)

B minor 11th --------------------- B D F# + E
B sus4 ---------------------------- B .. F# + E

B minor 6th/13th -------------- B D F# + G
B sus6 ---------------------------- B .. F# + G

Compare the B minor 13th to G major 7th below

G major ---------------------------- G B D
G major 3rd ---------------------- G B ..
G 5 --------------------------------- G .. D

G major 7th ---------------------- G B D + F#
G major add9 -------------------- G B D + F# + A
G sus7 ---------------------------- G .. D + F#

G major 9th ----------------------- G B D + A
G sus2 ---------------------------- G .. D + A  ------- (D sus4)

G major 11th ---------------------- G B D + C#
G sus4 ---------------------------- G .. D + C#        ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

G major 6th/13th -------------- G B D + E
G sus6 ---------------------------- G .. D + E

Compare the G major 13th to the E minor 7th below

E minor --------------------------- E G B
E minor 3rd ---------------------- E G
E 5 -------------------------------- E .. B

E minor 7th ---------------------- E G B + D
E minor add9 -------------------- E G B + D + F#
E sus7 ---------------------------- E .. B + D

E minor 9th ---------------------- E G B + F#
E sus2 ---------------------------- E .. B + F#  ------- (B minor sus4)

E minor 11th -------------------- E G B + A
E sus4 ---------------------------- E .. B + A

E minor 6th/13th --------------- E G B + C#
E sus7 ---------------------------- E .. B + C#

Compare the E minor 13th to the C# diminished 7th below

C# diminished ---------------------- C# E G
C# minor 3rd ----------------------- C# E ..
C# (b5) ------------------------------ C# .. G        ------- (Tritonics)...

C# diminished 7th ----------------- C# E G + B
C# diminished add9 --------------- C# E G + B + D
C# sus7 ------------------------------ C# .. G + B      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

C# diminished 9th ----------------- C# E G + D
C# dim. sus7 ----------------------- C# .. G + D       ------- (G sus4)...

C# diminished 11th ----------------- C# E G + F#
C# dim. sus4 ------------------------- C# .. G + F#      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

C# diminished 6th/13th -------- C# E G + A

Compare the C# diminished 13th to the A major 7th below

A major ------------------------------ A C# E
A major 3rd ------------------------- A C# ..
A 5 ----------------------------------- A .. E

A major 7th ------------------------- A C# E + G
A major add9 ----------------------- A C# E + G + B
A sus7 ------------------------------- A .. E + G

A major 9th ------------------------- A C# E + B
A sus2 ------------------------------- A .. E + B  ------- (E minor sus4)

A major 11th ------------------------ A C# E + D
A sus4 ------------------------------- A .. E + D

A major 6th/13th  ----------------- A C# E + F#
A sus6  ------------------------------- A .. E + F#

Compare the A major 13th to the F# minor 7th below

F# minor ------------------------------ F# A C#
F# minor 3rd ------------------------- F# A ..
F# 5 ------------------------------------ F# .. C#

F# minor 7th -------------------------- F# A C# + E
F# minor add9 ----------------------- F# A C# + E + G
F# sus7 -------------------------------- F# .. C# + E

F# minor 9th ------------------------- F# A C# + G
F# sus2 ------------------------------- F# .. C# + G  ------- (C# dim. sus4)

F# minor 11th ------------------------- F# A C# + B
F# sus4 -------------------------------- F# ... C# + B

F# minor 6th/13th ----------------- F# A C# + D
F# sus6 ------------------------------- F# .. C# + D

Compare the F# minor 13th to the D major 7th at the very top

    * The 13th chord is most often named a 6th chord (F# minor 6th = F# minor 13th) the chord building structure indicates that a 6th chord, contrary to what others believe, should be named 13th. If the naming of this extension as a 6th is the proper way then why isn't there a F# minor 8th, F# minor 10th, and F# minor 12th or F# minor 14th... (See our 14th chords lesson)...

   For more information on the 13th chords, check out our lesson on 6th chords and our lesson on Chord Building You are currently looking at the Key of D, the best keys to change to from here are the Key of G and the key of A).