D Aeolian

What is D Aeolian?

D Aeolian is the seven notes D E F G A Bb C — the notes of F major started from its 6th degree, D. Same seven notes as the parent, but with D as home, so the intervals and the sound are different.

D Aeolian vs D natural minor

They are the same seven notes in the same order. “Aeolian” is the mode name for the natural minor scale — it says which chord you treat as home, not that any note changed.

Chords in D Aeolian

Stack the mode in thirds and each degree becomes a chord. The home chord is Dm; the rest are the chords of F major, since the notes are the same — what changes is which one the music rests on. Vamp between Dm and Bb and the mode is unmistakable.

All the chords in F major, with shapes and numerals →

D Aeolian on the guitar neck

Because D Aeolian is F major from its 6th note, its natural fingering is position 6 of the seven three-notes-per-string shapes of F major — the shape whose lowest note is D. Learn that shape with D as home — start and end on it, over a drone on D or the vamp above — and you have the mode under your fingers. Play the same shape with F as home and you hear F major instead. The other six positions are the fingerings for the other six modes of the same key.

• The seven positions of F major — the Aeolian shape is position 6 →
• See every D Aeolian note across the whole neck →

How to practice D Aeolian on guitar

1. Loop position 6 of F major at 60 BPM, starting and ending on D so your ear hears D as home rather than F.
2. Hold a Dm chord (or record one) and play the shape over it. Listen for the chord tones landing on the beat.
3. Hear it harmonized in 3rds on the Fretboard: press Play and every note sounds with its partner while the neck lights up.