Alice In Wonderland in D

Alice In Wonderland in D

Alice In Wonderland in D: a jazz waltz that transforms the Disney source material into flowing 3/4 bebop. Lydian opens up the major sections; Bebop Major and Dorian navigate the ii-V passages with swing feel. Changes: Em7 – A7 – DMaj7 – GMaj7 – C#m7b5 – F#7 – Bm7 – F7 – F#m7 – E7 – B – B7 – G#m7b5 – C#7b9 – A#7.

Alice In Wonderland 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 E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to C# (ascending tritone), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to F (ascending tritone), F to F# (ascending half step), F# to E (descending whole step), E to B (descending perfect fourth), B to B (ascending unison), B to G# (descending minor third), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to A# (descending minor third). 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 A# to E by tritone.

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.