Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered in Re

Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered in Re

Bewitched in D — Rodgers & Hart's sophisticated ballad with chromatic voice leading and an expressive melodic arc. Bebop Major navigates the major tonic sections; Dorian and Mixolydian add texture through the ii-V moves. Changes: DMaj7 – D#dim7 – Em7 – A7 – F#m7 – B7 – Bm7 – E7 – Em7b5 – A7b9.

Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered in Re

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 D to D# (ascending half step), D# to E (ascending half step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to F# (descending minor third), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to B (ascending unison), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to E (ascending unison), E to A (ascending perfect fourth). 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 D by perfect fourth.

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.