relative minor

B and yes

Bm pentatonic is the same as D major pentatonic, only centred around a different note.

If the song in D uses only a I-IV-V kind of progression (i.e. just D, G and A), you could even use Dm pentatonic over it for a more bluesy feel (especially if it borrows chords from Dm, like F, Bb and C). Needless to say this trick wouldn't work over a I-vi-ii-V.

But yeah, Bm or Bm pentatonic is more than suitable over a D major progression (provided you target the right notes).

Thanks guys ;D

B minor scale is the D major scale centred around a different note not just pentatonic.

modes work the same way with pentatonic as with normal.

Sorry, wanted to post, this is the best i came up with.

B natural minor and D major use the same notes, but the most commonly used minor scale is the harmonic minor.  In the harmonic minor, you need to raise the 7th note (in the key of B minor, you'd play A#).

i do like the harmonic minor as an alternative, to add a cool sound, like when i need a scale to connect a low melody pitch to a high melody pitch..

but overall i would hate to use the harmonic minor, i always use natural minor 95% of the time, i never use the melodic minor.

Hey Tom, in a piece where the key is minor, are the chords built on the harmonic minor or is it the melody, or both?

ive seen harmonic minor pieces where i can see accidentals in the melody line but not in the harmony parts.. just curious.

Notation varies, Alex, but in general if you see something like F# in a measure, it affects ALL the F#s in that measure (after the appearance of the sharp), regardless of the octave.  It's likely that the harmony is also in the harmonic minor.

Usually the chords would be a mix of both, because in harmonic minor, the III becomes an often unpleasant sounding augmented chord.