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Careless Whisper – Key & Guitar Solo Scale

Careless Whisper by George Michael is in D minor. To solo over it, start with the D minor pentatonic; the D blues scale adds grit and the D natural minor adds melody.

The scale for soloing over Careless Whisper

EADGBe10111213FGACFGACF
D Minor Pentatonic Scale, box 1 (frets 10–13) – the notes that fit the key of Careless Whisper
e|-------------------------------10-13-|
B|-------------------------10-13-------|
G|-------------------10-12-------------|
D|-------------10-12-------------------|
A|-------10-12-------------------------|
E|-10-13-------------------------------|
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D Minor Pentatonic Scale on the whole neck

EADGBe123456789101112131415FGACFGACFGACFGACFGACFGACFGACFGACFG
D Minor Pentatonic Scale on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (D).

2 D minor licks to try over Careless Whisper

Box 1 licks from the JamEase lick library, written for D minor (h = hammer-on, p = pull-off, / = slide, b = bend, ~ = vibrato).

Down four

Picking · Rock

Four notes straight down the middle of the box.

e|-------------|
B|-10----------|
G|----12-10----|
D|----------12-|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|

Pentatonic repeat

Pull-off · Rock

One little three-note shape, walked down the box in triplets.

e|-13p-10------------------------------|
B|---------13--13p-10------------------|
G|---------------------12--12p-10------|
D|---------------------------------12--|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

Listen: Careless Whisper

Careless Whisper – George Michael

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FAQ

What key is Careless Whisper in?

Careless Whisper by George Michael is in D minor.

What scale do I use to solo over Careless Whisper?

The D minor pentatonic is a safe place to start; box 1 is at frets 10–13.