My Favorite Things in D

My Favorite Things in D

My Favorite Things in D: Coltrane transformed Rodgers & Hammerstein's waltz into a modal exploration alternating Dorian and major sections. Harmonic Minor and Aeolian frame the minor parts — sustain the pedal tones and let the modes expand. Chords: Bm7 – C#m7 – GMaj7 – Em7 – A7 – DMaj7 – C#m7b5 – F#7 – E7 – D6.

My Favorite Things 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 B to C# (ascending whole step), C# to G (ascending tritone), G to E (descending minor third), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to C# (descending half step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to E (descending whole step), E to D (descending whole step). 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 B by minor 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.