Just Friends in D
Just Friends in D
Just Friends in D: a swinging 32-bar form with brief tonicizations that test your ability to track key centers. Bebop Major handles the home key; Dorian and Mixolydian navigate the secondary dominant moves. Changes: GMaj7 – Gm7 – C7 – DMaj7 – Fm7 – A#7 – Em7 – A7 – F#m7 – Bm7 – E7 – G#7 – D6 – Am7 – D7.
Just Friends 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 G to G (ascending unison), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to D (ascending whole step), D to F (ascending minor third), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth), A# to E (ascending tritone), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to F# (descending minor third), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to G# (ascending major third), G# to D (ascending tritone), D to A (descending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth). 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 G 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.