My Funny Valentine in D

My Funny Valentine in D

My Funny Valentine in D with chords Dm – DmMaj7 – Dm7 – Dm6 – A#Maj7 – Gm7 – Em7b5 – A7b9 – C7 – FMaj7. Rodgers & Hart's haunting ballad features a descending chromatic bass line over the minor tonic. Practice chord voicings, scales, and audio playback in D.

My Funny Valentine in D

D major is one of guitar's most resonant keys. The open D string acts as a droning root, and the open A string provides the fifth. This gives D-based strumming a wide, ringing quality that flatpicks and fingerpicks love. D is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open D and A strings provide a powerful bass foundation, and the open high E is the 2nd scale degree adding brightness. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through D to D (ascending unison), D to D (ascending unison), D to D (ascending unison), D to A# (descending major third), A# to G (descending minor third), G to E (descending minor third), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to C (ascending minor third), C to F (ascending perfect fourth). The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from F to D by minor third.

Scales for Improvisation

D major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, D Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.