B Minor Six Diminished Guitar Scale — Open D
Guitar scale in Open D tuning — fretboard diagram
B Minor Six Diminished in Open D — Notes and Intervals
The B Minor Six Diminished scale is a sophisticated jazz scale popularized by the Barry Harris method. On Guitar, its notes are B, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#, A#. It is the secret to professional voice leading in bebop, allowing for smooth, elegant movements between minor chords and their related tensions. Commonly used in Jazz, Bebop, Swing. Notable players include Barry Harris, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell. Use over m6 chords and their related dim7 chords. The scale alternates between chord tones and diminished passing tones, creating seamless bebop voice leading.
Notes: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, G#, A#
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8
Formula: W-H-W-W-H-H-W-H
Number of notes: 8
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.
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
- B Minor Six Diminished in Standard Tuning
- B Minor Six Diminished in Drop D
- B Minor Six Diminished in DADGAD
- B Minor Six Diminished in Open G
- B Minor Six Diminished in Baritone (B Standard)
- B Minor Six Diminished in 7-string
- B Minor Six Diminished in 8-string
- B Minor Six Diminished in Drop C
- B Minor Six Diminished in Drop B
- B Minor Six Diminished in Half Step Down
- B Minor Six Diminished in Open E
- B Minor Six Diminished in Open A
- B Minor Six Diminished in Double Drop D
- B Minor Six Diminished in Open C