D Minor 6th Guitar Tuning

The major and minor pentatonic ringing scales are a unique feature of the D minor 6th tuning. The major scales are Major 6/9 chords in which all 5 notes of the scale are in sequence. These five scales each start with a different position in the scale. For instance the F major pentatonic scale (F6/9 chord) starts with root note (F) and the D major pentatonic scale (D6/9 chord) starts with the 2 note (E) and so on. The major pentatonic scales are exactly the same enharmonically as the minor pentatonic scale of their relative minor. For example G major pentatonic scale has the exact same notes as the E minor pentatonic scale.

The minor scales are minor 11th chords in which all 5 notes of the scale are in sequence. These five scales also each start with a different position in the scale. The E minor pentatonic scale (Em11 chord) starts with the root note (E) and the D minor pentatonic scale (Dm11 chord) starts with the minor third note (F).

When playing these scales/chords as arpeggios and letting them ring especially from high to low there is a distinctly Oriental feeling. Compare the scales/chords on this page with the Major 6/9 and the Minor 11th chord pages. On those pages the other fingerings of the chords all contain all five notes of the respective pentatonic scales but not necessarily in the consecutive sequence of the scales/chords on this page.