D Minor Pentatonic vs D Blues
D minor pentatonic and blues drawn on one neck. They differ by 1 note.
Tap any note on the neck.
Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.
D minor pentatonic is D blues without the b5 — no Ab.
D minor pentatonic vs D blues: what is different
D minor pentatonic is D blues with one note left out. Every note of minor pentatonic is also in blues; blues adds:
- Ab, the b5
Shared by both: D F G A C.
When to use which
The bigger scale has more colour and more ways to go wrong; the smaller one is safer and plainer. Start solos in the smaller scale and add the extra note as a passing tone, on the way to a note that belongs to the chord. Live on the extra note and it stops sounding like colour and starts sounding like a mistake.
Hear the difference
- Both scales on one neck, the differing notes highlighted
- D minor pentatonic on its own, with positions and chords
- D blues on its own
- Loop D minor pentatonic position 1, then the same position in blues — the changed note is under the same finger.
Free, no account needed. Change the key and both scales follow.
Find out what you should learn next. Five questions and Guitar Theory Studio builds you a four-week plan through the fretboard, chords, scales, arpeggios and ear training — week one free.
Build my free plan →