Map it slowly
Find D on string 5 at fret 5. Play string 5, fret 5; string 5, fret 7; string 5, fret 8; string 4, fret 5; string 4, fret 7. Use a relaxed position and release pressure between repetitions. String 1 is high E.
Aeolian (natural minor) · D · Guitar
D Aeolian (natural minor) scale on guitar
The D Aeolian scale is D E F G A B♭ C — formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, step pattern W–H–W–W–H–W–W. Use it over Dm7: it is the scale for the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
D Aeolian on the fretboard.
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
RootChord tone (1 3 5 7)Scale toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 5. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Your next 10 minutes
Make D Aeolian part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play D – E – F as two eighth notes and a quarter note, then rest for two beats. Answer with C – B♭ – A. Use the space to hear the phrase before repeating it.
Hear it in context
Hold or repeat D as a drone. Play each note of D Aeolian above it, pausing on E and C. Compare their tension with the root. Then improvise using only three notes and two rhythms.
Listen for this: the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound. Treat the scale as a palette, not a requirement to play every note. If a note clashes with a chord or melody, resolve it deliberately or leave it out.
Understand the sound
D Aeolian: from a pattern to a musical choice
Hear B♭ in context
The flat sixth separates natural minor from Dorian. Hear its half-step relationship with the fifth.
In D Aeolian, degree ♭6 is B♭. Play D, then B♭, then D again. Sing the middle note before touching the instrument.
A mistake to avoid
Natural minor does not contain the raised leading tone of a major V chord in minor. Change your note choices when that dominant arrives.
Slow the player to 60 bpm. Record one short phrase and check whether its ending sounds deliberate. Increase the tempo only when you can repeat it without losing the pulse.
D Aeolian versus D Dorian
Shared pitches: D, E, F, G, A, C. Pitches in D Aeolian outside the comparison scale: B♭. Compare the sounds over the same root, at the same tempo.
Play D Dorian on guitar →Your guitar checkpoint
Start with D on string 5, fret 5. The next note E is on string 5, fret 7. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On piano
The same scale on the keyboard.
Reference
D Aeolian — notes, degrees & intervals.
| Degree | Note | Interval from D | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | E | major 2nd (2 semitones) | H |
| ♭3 | F | minor 3rd (3 semitones) | W |
| 4 | G | perfect 4th (5 semitones) | W |
| 5 | A | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | H |
| ♭6 | B♭ | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | C | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: Dm7 (D – F – A – C). Use it for: the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play D Aeolian over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
D Aeolian FAQ.
What are the notes of the D Aeolian scale?
D E F G A B♭ C. As scale degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It has 7 notes.
What chords does D Aeolian work over?
D Aeolian fits Dm7 and, more generally, the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound.
What is the formula of the Aeolian (natural minor) scale?
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
How do I play D Aeolian on guitar?
Start on the root D on the A string at fret 5, and play the one-octave position shown: A-string fret 5, A-string fret 7, A-string fret 8, D-string fret 5, D-string fret 7, D-string fret 8, G-string fret 5, G-string fret 7. Every D on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Aeolian in every other key.
Same scale on piano · all Aeolian pages: Aeolian (natural minor) hub · practise it in context: ii–V–I trainer · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from D