A Composite Blues Guitar Scale — Open D

Guitar scale in Open D tuning — fretboard diagram

A Composite Blues in Open D — Notes and Intervals

The A Composite Blues scale is a comprehensive nine-note jazz scale that merges major and minor blues structures. On Guitar, it contains the notes A, B, C, C#, D, Eb, E, F#, G. It allows improvisers absolute melodic freedom over dominant chords, blending happiness and grit in every line. Commonly used in Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Funk. Notable players include John Scofield, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton. Use over dominant 7th chords in blues and jazz-blues. Contains both major and minor 3rds, allowing fluid switching between bright and dark.

Notes: A, B, C, C#, D, Eb, E, F#, G

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 3M, 4P, 5d, 5P, 6M, 7m

Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 b9

Formula: W-H-H-H-H-H-W-H-W

Number of notes: 9

Tuning: Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D)

About Open D Tuning

Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) produces a full D major chord when strummed open, creating a warm, resonant sound that has been a staple of slide guitar, folk, and acoustic music for over a century. The three D strings create a deep, droning foundation that makes even simple chord shapes sound lush and full.

Open D is closely related to Open E (same intervals, just a whole step lower) but puts less tension on the guitar neck, making it safer for acoustic instruments. It was a favorite of Joni Mitchell, who used it extensively for her unique chord voicings, and Bob Dylan, who popularized it in folk-rock. For slide players, Open D provides the same intuitive major-chord-at-any-fret approach as Open G but with a warmer, deeper character.

FolkBluesSlide GuitarAcousticSinger-SongwriterCountry

Notable artists: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Bruce Cockburn, Elmore James

Best for: Slide guitar, folk fingerpicking, singer-songwriter arrangements, and acoustic compositions with rich open-string resonance

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Open D tuning