Someone to Watch Over Me in D

George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / Howard Dietz(1926)swing
Do Re MiC D E
A
B

Chord Diagrams — Someone to Watch Over Me in D (Guitar)

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Someone to Watch Over Me 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 D to D (ascending unison), D to E (ascending whole step), E to G (ascending minor third), G to F (descending whole step), F to A (ascending major third), A to D# (ascending tritone), D# to E (ascending half step), E to F# (ascending whole step), F# to G (ascending half step), G to G# (ascending half step), G# to F# (descending whole step), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to G (descending major third), G to F# (descending half step), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to C# (ascending whole step), C# to G (ascending tritone). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The predominantly stepwise bass motion creates smooth, connected voice leading. When the progression loops, the bass returns from G to D 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: D, D7, E, Gdim, Fdim, A7, D♯dim, Em7, F♯dim, G6, G♯m7♭5, F♯7, B7, G, F♯m7, Bm7, C♯7, G7.

Scales for Improvisation D bebop, D bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of D