F Minor Pentatonic Guitar Scale — Open D
Guitar scale in Open D tuning — fretboard diagram
F Minor Pentatonic in Open D — Notes and Intervals
The F Minor Pentatonic scale is the most influential scale in the history of rock and guitar music. On Guitar, its notes are F, Ab, Bb, C, Eb. It offers a gritty, powerful, and bluesy sound that is highly versatile, serving as the primary tool for improvising solos in rock, blues, and metal and providing a safe but expressive framework for beginners and pros alike. Commonly used in Blues, Rock, Metal, R&B, Funk. Notable players include Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Slash, Angus Young. Use over minor chords, dominant 7th chords (in blues), and power chords. The backbone of rock and blues guitar for 70+ years.
Notes: F, Ab, Bb, C, Eb
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5P, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 b5
Formula: WH-W-W-WH-W
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
Also known as: vietnamese 2
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
- F Minor Pentatonic in Standard Tuning
- F Minor Pentatonic in Drop D
- F Minor Pentatonic in DADGAD
- F Minor Pentatonic in Open G
- F Minor Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- F Minor Pentatonic in 7-string
- F Minor Pentatonic in 8-string
- F Minor Pentatonic in Drop C
- F Minor Pentatonic in Drop B
- F Minor Pentatonic in Half Step Down
- F Minor Pentatonic in Open E
- F Minor Pentatonic in Open A
- F Minor Pentatonic in Double Drop D
- F Minor Pentatonic in Open C