D Melodic Minor (Classical) Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The D Melodic Minor (Classical) scale on banjo: scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes going up: D E F G A B C#

Notes coming down: D C Bb A G F E

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scales

Scale shapes

3NPS - First Position

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

Coming down

D|--3---5---7-|
B|--1---3---5-|
G|--0---2---3-|
D|--0---2---3-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Second Position

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

Coming down

D|--5---7---8-|
B|--3---5---6-|
G|--2---3---5-|
D|--2---3---5-|
G|------------|

3NPS - Third Position

D|--7---9--11-|
B|--5---6---8-|
G|--4---6---7-|
D|--3---5---7-|
G|--7---9--11-|

Coming down

D|--7---8--10-|
B|--5---6---8-|
G|--3---5---7-|
D|--3---5---7-|
G|------------|

Exercises

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Dm	D F A	`12 12 10 10 12`
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	Faug	F A C#	`x x 2 2 x`
III	Faug	F A C#	`x 3 2 2 3`
III	Faug	F A C#	`x 3 2 2 x`
III	Faug	F A C#	`x x 2 2 3`
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	Bdim	B D F	`x x x 0 3`
VI	Bdim	B D F	`x x x 3 3`
VI	Bdim	B D F	`x 0 4 0 3`
VI	Bdim	B D F	`x 0 4 3 3`
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`

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Dm(maj7)	D F A C#	`x 0 2 2 0`
I	Dm(maj7)	D F A C#	`x 0 2 2 x`
I	Dm(maj7)	D F A C#	`x x 2 2 0`
I	Dm(maj7)	D F A C#	`x 0 2 2 3`
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	Fmaj7#5	F A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
III	Fmaj7#5	F A C# E	`x 2 2 2 2`
III	Fmaj7#5	F A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
III	Fmaj7#5	F A C# E	`x 3 2 2 2`
IV	G7	G B D F	`x x 0 0 3`
IV	G7	G B D F	`x x 0 3 3`
IV	G7	G B D F	`0 0 0 0 3`
IV	G7	G B D F	`0 0 0 3 3`
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	Bm7b5	B D F A	`x 0 2 0 0`
VI	Bm7b5	B D F A	`x 0 2 0 x`
VI	Bm7b5	B D F A	`x x 2 0 0`
VI	Bm7b5	B D F A	`x 0 2 0 3`
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`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Dm(maj9)	D F A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2`
I	Dm(maj9)	D F A C# E	`x 2 2 2 0`
I	Dm(maj9)	D F A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
I	Dm(maj9)	D F A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
II	Em7b9	E G B D F	`0 2 0 3 3`
II	Em7b9	E G B D F	`x 2 0 3 3`
II	Em7b9	E G B D F	`x x 0 0 3`
II	Em7b9	E G B D F	`x x 0 3 3`
III	Fmaj9#5	F A C# E G	`0 2 2 2 2`
III	Fmaj9#5	F A C# E G	`0 2 2 2 x`
III	Fmaj9#5	F A C# E G	`0 2 2 x x`
III	Fmaj9#5	F A C# E G	`x 2 0 2 x`
IV	G9	G B D F A	`0 0 2 x x`
IV	G9	G B D F A	`x 0 2 0 x`
IV	G9	G B D F A	`x x 2 0 0`
IV	G9	G B D F A	`0 0 2 0 3`
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	Bm9b5	B D F A C#	`x 0 2 2 x`
VI	Bm9b5	B D F A C#	`x x 2 2 0`
VI	Bm9b5	B D F A C#	`x 0 2 2 3`
VI	Bm9b5	B D F A C#	`x 3 2 2 0`
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`

Progressions

Forward Roll

Chords: Dm – Em – Faug – G – A – Bdim – C#dim

D|12--12----------12----------12--|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
B|10----------10----------10------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
G|10------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
D|12------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
G|12------12----------12----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|

D|--------------------------------|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
B|2-----------2-----------2-------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
G|2-------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|

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

D|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
B|2-----------2-----------2-------|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|2-------------------------------|
G|0-------0-----------0-----------|

Backward Roll

Chords: Dm – Em – Faug – G – A – Bdim – C#dim

D|12----------12----------12------|2-----------2-----------2-------|
B|10--10----------10----------10--|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
G|10------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
D|12------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
G|12------12----------12----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|

D|--------------------------------|0-----------0-----------0-------|
B|2---2-----------2-----------2---|0---0-----------0-----------0---|
G|2-------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
G|--------0-----------0-----------|0-------0-----------0-----------|

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

D|2-----------2-----------2-------|
B|2---2-----------2-----------2---|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|2-------------------------------|
G|0-------0-----------0-----------|

Forward-Reverse Roll

Chords: Dm – Em – Faug – G – A – Bdim – C#dim

D|12------12------12----------12--|2-------2-------2-----------2---|
B|10--10--------------10----------|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|10----------------------10------|0-----------------------0-------|
D|12------------------------------|2-------------------------------|
G|12----------12------------------|0-----------0-------------------|

D|--------------------------------|0-------0-------0-----------0---|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|2-----------------------2-------|0-----------------------0-------|
D|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
G|------------0-------------------|0-----------0-------------------|

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

D|2-------2-------2-----------2---|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|0-----------------------0-------|
D|2-------------------------------|
G|0-----------0-------------------|

Alternating Thumb Roll

Chords: Dm – Em – Faug – G – A – Bdim – C#dim

D|12----------12--------------12--|2-----------2---------------2---|
B|10--10--------------10----------|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|10------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
D|12--------------12--------------|2---------------2---------------|
G|12------12--------------12------|0-------0---------------0-------|

D|--------------------------------|0-----------0---------------0---|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|0---0---------------0-----------|
G|2-------------------------------|0-------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|0---------------0---------------|
G|--------0---------------0-------|0-------0---------------0-------|

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

D|2-----------2---------------2---|
B|2---2---------------2-----------|
G|0-------------------------------|
D|2---------------2---------------|
G|0-------0---------------0-------|

All banjo lessons · The Guitar Scales