guitar scale
D melodic minor
D1E2F♭3G4A5B6C♯7
Minor third, major sixth and seventh — the ascending form, and the parent of most of the altered sounds below.
Written out
Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.
The step pattern
DWEHFWGWAWBWC♯HD
What is true of it
D melodic minor is D, E, F, G, A, B and C♯, and back to D.
Its steps are W – H – W – W – W – W – H, where W is a whole step and H a half.
On the same tonic, D major differs from it by exactly one note.
Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 48 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.
Chords made only of these notes
C♯dimdiminishedC♯augaugmentedC♯m7♭5half-diminished seventhDmminorEmminorEm7minor seventhFaugaugmentedGmajor
Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.
Other scales on D
C mel minC♯ mel minD♭ mel minD♯ mel minE♭ mel minE mel minF mel minF♯ mel minall 374