Only Trust Your Heart in D

Benny Carter / Sammy Cahn(1964)swing
Do Re MiC D E
A
B
Bm/F♯
Em7/D
Em9/A

Chord Diagrams — Only Trust Your Heart in D (Guitar)

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Only Trust Your Heart 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 G to C# (ascending tritone), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to A (descending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G# (ascending tritone), G# to G (descending half step), G to B (ascending major third), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to E (ascending unison), E to C# (descending minor third), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to C (ascending tritone), C to B (descending half step), B to G (descending major third), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to B (descending half step), B to A# (descending half step), A# to E (ascending tritone), 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 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.

swing4/4 · 33 bars · Form: AB

Chords: GMaj7, C♯7♯9, F♯m7, Bm7, Em7, A7, DMaj7, Am7, D7, G♯7♭5, G, Bm/F♯, Em, Em7/D, C♯m7♭5, F♯7, C7♭5, B7, Gm7, C7, B7♭9, A♯7♭5, Em9/A, D.

Scales for Improvisation D bebop, D bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of D