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Nefertiti in D
Wayne Shorter's enigmatic composition features an unusually long written melody that cycles repeatedly while the rhythm section improvises beneath it, supporting Lydian color on the stable major chords and Altered tension on the dominant chords with Bebop Major connecting them. The inversion of jazz norms — soloists in the rhythm section, melody on top — gives the piece its hypnotic quality. A landmark of the Miles Davis Second Great Quintet repertoire.
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 D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to G (ascending unison), G to C# (ascending tritone), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to F (descending half step), F to F (ascending unison), F to E (descending half step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A# (ascending half step), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to C (ascending major third), C to A# (descending whole step), A# to A (descending half step), A to E (descending 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 E to D by whole step.
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.