Nefertiti in D
Chord Diagrams — Nefertiti in D (Guitar)
Nefertiti in D
Wayne Shorter's through-composed masterpiece from Miles Davis's second quintet, where the melody repeats while the rhythm section improvises freely.
Nefertiti 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 C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to B (ascending tritone), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to D# (descending half step), D# to D# (ascending unison), D# to D (descending half step), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to G# (ascending half step), G# to F# (descending whole step), F# to C (ascending tritone), C to G# (descending major third), G# to D (ascending tritone). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. 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 D to C by whole step.
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.