D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic Bass Scale
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D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals
The D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic scale is a streamlined five-note scale built directly around the structure of a dominant seventh chord. On Bass, its notes are D, F#, G#, A, C. It is a highly efficient tool for jazz and bebop players who need to navigate rapid harmonic changes with rhythmic precision and clarity. Commonly used in Jazz, Bebop, Fusion. Notable players include Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino. Use over 7#11, 9#11 chords. Efficient for fast bebop lines over non-resolving dominant chords.
Notes: D, F#, G#, A, C
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 4A, 5P, 7m
Degrees: 1 2 #3 4 b5
Formula: 4-W-H-WH-W
Number of notes: 5
Musical Character
Built around the dominant 7th chord structure with a #4, allowing rapid navigation of altered dominant harmony in a pentatonic framework.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Jazz, Bebop, Fusion
Notable players: Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino
How to Use the D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic Scale
Use over 7#11, 9#11 chords. Efficient for fast bebop lines over non-resolving dominant chords.
Origin & Background
Jazz pentatonic derived from the Lydian Dominant mode for rapid harmonic navigation.
How to Play D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic on Bass
On bass, locate D on the A string at fret 5. This 5-note scale can be played across two strings without shifting, making it ideal for groove-based lines.
The D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic scale contains 2 sharps (F#, G#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Set a metronome to 100 BPM and play the D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in D. Try a D5 - A5 - C5 progression. This scale is especially effective in bebop contexts.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic scale to build walking bass lines by targeting chord tones on strong beats and using scale tones as approach notes. This is the foundation of functional bass playing. Aim for a bright quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
Lydian Dominant Pentatonic is the Lydian Dominant pentatonic subset. View D Lydian dominant scale
The D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (D, F#, G#, A, C). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic
The D Lydian Dominant Pentatonic scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.