Practicing scales in the various keys is a great way of embedding muscle memory to your left hand position (notes) and also to your right hand position (plucking). Look at the diagram below to see how the notes are paired together starting from the open D string and finishing on the 5th fret or the 2nd string. This formation also applys to the lower scale of G Major and also the upper scale of A major.

D Major Scale

click on the videos below to watch the D major scale played on the tenor banjo (the second video shows you how to pluck the strings up and down as you progress through the scale)

• The scale of D major
• plucking strings in D major

Reel (D Major)

first part

• | A | B f# f# B f# A f# | e f# d e f# A  A |  B f# f# B f# A f# | e f# d e f# d d
• | A | B f# f# B f# A f# | e f# d e f# A  A |  B f# f# B f# A f# | e f# d e f# d d ||

second part

• | A | D F# E D B D A B | D F# E D B E E | D F# E D B D A f# | e f# d e f# d d
• | A | D F# E D B D A B | D F# E D B E E | F# D E C# D B A f# | e f# d e f# d d ||

I have highlighted the f#, A and E crotchets (quarter notes) in green to show were you can add triplets in the reel. These notes would effectively translate as 4 notes i.e. f#   f# f# f#, playing the first note with a down stroke followed by down up down. Don’t try to play the tune at speed, practice the triplets slowly so as you hit each notes with accuracy.