How High The Moon in Re

How High The Moon in Re

How High The Moon in D — the bebop standard that spawned "Ornithology," with ii-V-I patterns cycling through contrasting key centers. Bebop Major on the tonic, Dorian and Mixolydian through the modulatory passage. Changes: DMaj7 – Dm7 – G7 – CMaj7 – Cm7 – F7 – A#Maj7 – Em7b5 – A7b9 – A7 – Em7 – F#m7.

How High The Moon 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 unison), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to C (ascending unison), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth), A# to E (ascending tritone), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A (ascending unison), A to E (descending perfect fourth), E to F# (ascending whole step). 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 F# to D by major third.

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.