D Minor #7m Pentatonic Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 7-string tuning — fretboard diagram
D Minor #7m Pentatonic in 7-string — Notes and Intervals
The D Minor #7m Pentatonic scale is a minor pentatonic variation that includes a major seventh, echoing the tension of the melodic minor scale. On Guitar, the notes are D, F, G, A, C#. It is used to create a Minor-Major mystery, providing a simple but effective way to add a dark, classical tension to modern solos. Commonly used in Jazz, Film Scores, Classical. Notable players include Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock. Use over mMaj7, mMaj9 chords. Adds classical tension to modern minor-key solos.
Notes: D, F, G, A, C#
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5P, 7M
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5
Formula: WH-W-W-4-H
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: 7-string (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
About 7-string Tuning
The 7-string guitar adds a low B string below the standard 6-string tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E), extending the instrument's range into bass territory. This extra low end has become essential in progressive metal, djent, and modern heavy music, enabling crushing low-end riffs while maintaining access to standard guitar voicings on the upper strings.
Pioneered by jazz guitarist George Van Eps and later brought into the metal mainstream by Steve Vai and Korn, the 7-string guitar has become a staple of modern heavy music. Players like Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and John Petrucci have pushed the instrument's capabilities into new territory, using the extended range for complex harmonic progressions, polyrhythmic riffs, and sweeping arpeggios that span an enormous tonal range.
Notable artists: Dream Theater, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Korn, Meshuggah
Best for: Progressive metal riffs, extended-range chord voicings, djent rhythms, and jazz fusion harmony
Musical Character
The major 7th against a minor 3rd creates the characteristic 'Minor-Major' tension — dark and unsettling yet refined.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- vi – viM7 – vi7 – II (Descending Minor Cliché)Classical / Pop — Romance & Intrigue
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Standard Tuning
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Drop D
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in DADGAD
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Open G
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in 8-string
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Drop C
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Drop B
- D Minor #7m Pentatonic in Open D