How to play Dm (D Minor) on Guitar
Diagram, notes, and audio for the Dm chord on guitar. Free in your browser.
About Dm on guitar
D minor is the saddest open chord on the guitar — a label borrowed from Spinal Tap but unironically true. The shape is the open D major with the high E moved down a fret: index on the 1st fret of the high E, middle on the 2nd fret of the G, ring on the 3rd fret of the B, with the open D string as the bass. Notes are D, F, and A.
D minor is the i chord in the key of D minor (one flat: Bb) and the ii chord in the key of C major. That second role makes it one of the most common chords in pop and folk songwriting — any C-major progression that wants a moment of melancholy borrows D minor or its seventh form Dm7. Greensleeves, Stairway to Heaven (intro), and Hotel California's classic verse all anchor on D minor.
The open shape is forgiving, which makes D minor an excellent first minor chord to teach a beginner. From here it is one finger away from F major (add the index across the 1st fret of the B and high E to make a partial barre) and one finger away from D major (raise the high E to the 2nd fret). This finger economy makes Dm a hub chord — a place to pivot from.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes make up a D minor chord?
- D, F, and A — the root, minor third, and perfect fifth of the D minor scale.
- Why does D minor sound sad?
- The minor third (F) sits a half-step lower than the major third (F#) in D major. That single semitone shift is what every Western ear hears as 'sad' or 'serious' versus 'happy' or 'bright'.
- How do I go from D minor to F major easily?
- Hold the D minor shape, then add your index finger as a small barre across the 1st fret of the B and high E strings. You now have a 4-string F.
Switch instruments
See Dm on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.