D major (D) chord on banjo

Major triad on D: the notes of the D chord are D – F♯ – A.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 7medium

Position 4medium

Position 10medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the D chord sounds like

A major triad sounds stable and bright: root, major third and perfect fifth. Most songs are built on major chords – in a major key, chords I, IV and V are all major.

Notes of the D chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	D	root
3	F♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	A	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, middle finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Position 7

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, ring finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 7, middle finger (D4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, index finger (A3)

Position 4

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, little finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 7, little finger (D4)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The D chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D major: I (tonic)
G major: V (dominant)
A major: IV (subdominant)
G minor: V (dominant)
E minor: VII
B minor: III
F♯ minor: VI

Similar chords and substitutes

If D is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Bm – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
F♯m – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Dmaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Dsus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Richer versions

D7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Dmaj7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
D6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Dadd9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the D chord?

D, F♯, A. The root is D; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play D on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the D chord written?

The chord symbol is D, and its full name is D major.