How To Play The D Minor Chord On Guitar (Dm)

Introduction to the D minor chord on guitar

Learning to play the D minor chord on guitar is a common first step in a guitarist’s journey. This lesson will help you learn it with ease.

It’s 1 of the 3 foundational open minor guitar chords, the other 2 chords being A minor and E minor.

How to play the open D minor chord on guitar

The most commonly seen version of the D minor chord on guitar is the 3 finger, open position shape. This is called the “D minor shape”.

Here’s how to play the D minor chord, step-by-step:

  1. Place your index finger on fret 1 of the high E string
  2. Place your ring finger on fret 3 of the B string
  3. Place your middle finger on fret 2 of the G string
  4. Strum all strings starting from the D string. Make sure you don’t play the low E or D strings.

Step 1

Step 1 D Minor Chord on Guitar

Step 2

Step 2 D Minor Chord on Guitar

Step 3

Step 3 D Minor Chord on Guitar
Open D Minor Chord on guitar
Open D Minor Chord

Don’t know how to read chord charts? Learn here.

Don’t know the guitar string names and order? Learn here.

Understanding the D minor chord on guitar

Writing the D minor chord

You might see minor chord names abbreviated differently as you learn guitar. The three most common ways to write the D minor chord are:

D minor – Dmin – Dm

Notes in the D minor chord

The notes in the D minor chord are D,F, and A.

Dm chord intervals

DFA
1 (root)b3 ( minor third)5 (fifth)

Learn about intervals from pudgetsound.

Questions about the D minor chord on guitar

What is the difference between D major and D minor on guitar?

There are 8 total foundational guitar chords, D major and D minor being two of them. The difference between D major and D minor is the 3rd.

D major has a major 3rd (3), and D minor has a minor 3rd (b3). Relative to the D root note, changing the third makes a dramatic difference in the chord’s sound.

What’s next?

Now that you’ve learned the D minor chord on guitar you can move onto new things!

Here are some recommended lessons.

Guitar Chords In The Key Of D Minor (Dm)

D Minor Pentatonic Scale Guitar Guide

D Minor Scale Guitar Lesson | How to Play