This is an old classic reel in the key of D major and played often at the traditional sessions

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