The D Major Key

The key of D Major mostly uses the notes of the D major scale, which are D, E, F#, G, A, B and C#. The key signature has two sharps, and its relative minor key is B minor.

Famous songs in the key of D Major include Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Summer of ‘69 by Bryan Adams”.

Chords in the key of D major

The key of D Major primarily uses the scale degree chords of the D major scale, which are D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, and C#mb5.

I ii iii IV V vi vii°

D Em F#m G A Bm C#m b5

D Major cadences

An easy way to find out if a song is in the D Major key is to look for cadences. A cadence is a melodic or chord progression that moves towards a point of rest or resolution, and is the most common way to define a key.

Classic cadence:

• Scale degrees: IV – V – I
• Chords: G – A – D

Jazz cadence:

• Scale Degrees: ii – V – I
• Chords: Em – A – D