It had to be you in D

Isham Jones / Gus Kahn(1924)swing
Do Re MiC D E
A
B
A7♯5
A7♯5

Chord Diagrams — It had to be you in D (Guitar)

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It had to be you in D

Key of 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 A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to B (descending minor third), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A# (ascending half step), A# to B (ascending half step), B to A# (descending half step), A# to E (ascending tritone), E to E (ascending unison), E to D (descending whole step), D to F# (ascending major third), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to D (ascending 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 D to A 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.

swing4/4 · 26 bars · Form: AB

Chords: A7♯5, D, B7, E7, A7, A♯dim, Bm7, A♯7, Em, Em7, D7, F♯7, Bm, Ddim.

Scales for Improvisation D bebop, D bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of D