8-Bar Blues Progression in D Major for Banjo

The D Major scale on banjo: the 8-Bar Blues progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: D E F# G A B C#

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scale

Scale shapes

3NPS - First Position

D|--0---7-----|
B|--0---2---4-|
G|--0---2---4-|
D|--2---3---5-|
G|--4---5---7-|

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 4`
I	D	D F# A	`7 7 7 7 7`
II	Em	E G B	`0 2 0 0 2`
II	Em	E G B	`0 2 4 0 2`
II	Em	E G B	`0 2 4 0 5`
III	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 2 2 x`
III	F#m	F# A C#	`x 4 2 2 4`
III	F#m	F# A C#	`x 4 2 2 x`
III	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 2 2 4`
IV	G	G B D	`0 0 0 0 0`
V	A	A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
V	A	A C# E	`x x x 2 2`
V	A	A C# E	`x 2 2 2 2`
V	A	A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
VI	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 0`
VI	Bm	B D F#	`9 0 4 0 4`
VI	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 9`
VII	C#dim	C# E G	`0 2 0 2 2`
VII	C#dim	C# E G	`0 2 0 2 x`
VII	C#dim	C# E G	`x 2 0 2 2`
VII	C#dim	C# E G	`x 2 0 2 x`

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: D – A – G – G – D – A – D – A

D|4-------------------5---9---4-------------------5---9---4-------|2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2---|
B|3-----------3---5-----------3-----------3---5-----------3-------|2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2---|
G|2-------4-------------------2-------4-------------------2-------|2---6---------------2---6---------------2---6---------------2---|
D|0---5-----------------------0---5-----------------------0---5---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|
B|0-----------2---3-----------0-----------2---3-----------0-------|0-----------2---3-----------0-----------2---3-----------0-------|
G|0-------2-------------------0-------2-------------------0-------|0-------2-------------------0-------2-------------------0-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|0---------------------------0---------------------------0-------|0---------------------------0---------------------------0-------|

D|4-------------------5---9---4-------------------5---9---4-------|2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2---|
B|3-----------3---5-----------3-----------3---5-----------3-------|2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2---|
G|2-------4-------------------2-------4-------------------2-------|2---6---------------2---6---------------2---6---------------2---|
D|0---5-----------------------0---5-----------------------0---5---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|4-------------------5---9---4-------------------5---9---4-------|2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2---|
B|3-----------3---5-----------3-----------3---5-----------3-------|2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2-------5-----------2---|
G|2-------4-------------------2-------4-------------------2-------|2---6---------------2---6---------------2---6---------------2---|
D|0---5-----------------------0---5-----------------------0---5---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 0`
I	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 x`
I	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x x 2 2 0`
I	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 4`
II	Em7	E G B D	`x x 0 0 0`
II	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 0 0 0`
II	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 0 0 x`
II	Em7	E G B D	`x 0 0 0 0`
III	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
III	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 2`
III	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
III	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 4 2 2 2`
IV	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`x x 0 0 4`
IV	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`x x 0 3 4`
IV	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`0 0 0 0 4`
IV	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`0 0 0 3 4`
V	A7	A C# E G	`0 2 0 2 2`
V	A7	A C# E G	`0 2 2 2 2`
V	A7	A C# E G	`0 2 0 2 x`
V	A7	A C# E G	`0 2 2 2 x`
VI	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 0`
VI	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
VI	Bm7	B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
VI	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
VII	C#m7b5	C# E G B	`0 2 0 0 2`
VII	C#m7b5	C# E G B	`0 2 0 0 x`
VII	C#m7b5	C# E G B	`x 2 0 0 2`
VII	C#m7b5	C# E G B	`x 2 0 0 x`

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: Dmaj7 – A7 – Gmaj7 – Gmaj7 – Dmaj7 – A7 – Dmaj7 – A7

D|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|2-------------------5---2-------------------5---2---------------|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|2-----------3---5-------2-----------3---5-------2-----------3---|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|

D|4-----------4---5---4-----------4---5---4-----------4---5---4---|4-----------4---5---4-----------4---5---4-----------4---5---4---|
B|0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0---|0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0---|
G|0---4---------------0---4---------------0---4---------------0---|0---4---------------0---4---------------0---4---------------0---|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|2-------------------5---2-------------------5---2---------------|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|2-----------3---5-------2-----------3---5-------2-----------3---|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|

D|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|2-------------------5---2-------------------5---2---------------|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|2-----------3---5-------2-----------3---5-------2-----------3---|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2`
I	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 0`
I	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
I	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
II	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 2 0 3 4`
II	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 2 4 3 4`
II	Em9	E G B D F#	`x 2 0 3 4`
II	Em9	E G B D F#	`x x 0 0 4`
III	F#m7b9	F# A C# E G	`0 2 2 2 2`
III	F#m7b9	F# A C# E G	`0 2 2 2 x`
III	F#m7b9	F# A C# E G	`0 2 2 x x`
III	F#m7b9	F# A C# E G	`x 2 0 2 x`
IV	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 2 x x`
IV	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
IV	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
IV	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 2 0 4`
V	A9	A C# E G B	`x x 2 0 2`
V	A9	A C# E G B	`0 2 2 0 2`
V	A9	A C# E G B	`0 2 2 0 x`
V	A9	A C# E G B	`x 2 0 0 x`
VI	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 x`
VI	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x x 2 2 0`
VI	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x x 4 2 0`
VI	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 4`
VII	C#m7b5b9	C# E G B D	`x x 0 0 0`
VII	C#m7b5b9	C# E G B D	`x 0 0 0 x`
VII	C#m7b5b9	C# E G B D	`0 2 0 0 0`
VII	C#m7b5b9	C# E G B D	`x 2 0 0 0`

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: Dmaj9 – A9 – Gmaj9 – Gmaj9 – Dmaj9 – A9 – Dmaj9 – A9

D|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2---|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|0---2---5-----------0---2---5-----------0---2---5-----------0---|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------------------2-------------------2-------------------2---|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------4---7-----------------------4---7-----------|--------------------4---7-----------------------4---7-----------|
B|------------2---3-----------------------2---3-------------------|------------2---3-----------------------2---3-------------------|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|0---------------------------0---------------------------0-------|0---------------------------0---------------------------0-------|

D|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2---|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|0---2---5-----------0---2---5-----------0---2---5-----------0---|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------------------2-------------------2-------------------2---|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2-----------5---7---2---|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|0---2---5-----------0---2---5-----------0---2---5-----------0---|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------------------2-------------------2-------------------2---|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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