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