D Major: Notes, Chords and Scale
D major is a major key. Its key signature has 2 sharps: F♯, C♯. Its scale is D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯, and its seven diatonic chords are D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯dim. Below are the 7th chords, Roman numerals, related keys, the Camelot code and a keyboard diagram.
Key signature
2♯
Relative key
Parallel key
Camelot code
10B
Notes
D E F♯ G A B C♯
Chords in D major
- IDD F♯ A
- iiEmE G B
- iiiF♯mF♯ A C♯
- IVGG B D
- VAA C♯ E
- viBmB D F♯
- vii°C♯dimC♯ E G
Seventh chords
- Imaj7Dmaj7D F♯ A C♯
- ii7Em7E G B D
- iii7F♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
- IVmaj7Gmaj7G B D F♯
- V7A7A C♯ E G
- vi7Bm7B D F♯ A
- viiø7C♯m7♭5C♯ E G B
How to use these chords
- I, IV and V (D, G, A) are the primary chords. Together they contain all seven notes of the scale.
- vi (Bm) and iii (F♯m) each share two notes with I, and ii (Em) shares two notes with IV, so these minor chords often stand in for them.
- V7 (A7) contains the leading tone, C♯, which pulls up to the root, so it resolves strongly to I. vii° (C♯dim) has the same upper three notes as V7 and is mostly used as a passing chord.
- Common progressions, in Roman numerals: I V vi IV (D, A, Bm, G); I vi IV V (D, Bm, G, A); ii V I (Em, A, D); ii7 V7 Imaj7 (Em7, A7, Dmaj7).
Common uses of D major
- D major shares its seven notes and its key signature with its relative minor, B minor.
- On a piano, 2 of its seven notes are black keys.
- The root note, D, is an open string on a guitar in standard tuning (E A D G B E), so it can ring under the chords.
- On guitar, D, G, A all have common open position shapes.
- In the Camelot system DJs use for harmonic mixing, D major is 10B; tracks in 9B, 11B and 10A usually mix smoothly with it.
- Open D major in the Scale and Chord Finder
- Find your song's key from the audio: Detect Key and BPM
- Camelot Wheel: 10B
- Write chords or MIDI in D major with MIDI LabMIDI Lab, from the same team as SongTools, writes chord progressions, bass, drums and melody as MIDI from a prompt.
- B minor: notes and chords
- All 24 major and minor keys
Questions about D major
What chords are in D major?
The seven chords in D major are D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯dim (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°). As seventh chords they are Dmaj7, Em7, F♯m7, Gmaj7, A7, Bm7, C♯m7♭5.
What notes are in the D major scale?
D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯. Its key signature has 2 sharps: F♯, C♯.
What is the relative minor of D major?
B minor. It uses the same seven notes and key signature as D major, starting from B. The parallel minor, D minor, starts on the same note as D major but has a different key signature.
What is the Camelot code for D major?
10B. Next to it on the Camelot wheel are 9B and 11B, and 10A is its relative minor, B minor.