Scale degrees · D major

The 5 of D is A

The 5 (five) of D is A: a perfect fifth above the root.

D — the root, 1A — the 5

How to find it

Count letters first, the root included: D, E, F, G, A. A 5th lands on A.

Then the sound: a perfect fifth is 7 semitones above D, which is exactly where A is — no sharp or flat needed.

Where you meet it

The 5 is the most stable note after the root; a power chord is just the two of them.

In D5:

D · A

The 5 in every key

KeyThe 5
CG
GD
DA
AE
EB
BF♯
F♯C♯
D♭A♭
A♭E♭
E♭B♭
B♭F
FC

Every degree of D

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