D minor (Dm) chord on guitar

Looking for the Dm chord on guitar? It is a minor triad, made of three notes: D – F – A.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

Position 2medium

A shape, fret 5hard

E shape, fret 10medium

Position 10medium

D shape, fret 12medium

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

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Dm chord sounds like

A minor triad differs from a major one only in the third: it has a minor third, which gives it a darker, sadder colour. In a major key, chords ii, iii and vi are minor.

Notes of the Dm chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 1, index finger (F4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, ring finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, middle finger (A3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

Position 2

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): fret 3, ring finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 3, middle finger (F3)
String 5 (A): fret 5, little finger (D3)
String 6 (E): not played

A shape, fret 5, barre at fret 5

String 1 (e): fret 5, index finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, middle finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 7, little finger (D4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, ring finger (A3)
String 5 (A): fret 5, index finger (D3)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 5; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Dm with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Dm chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 5
shape: Am

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

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

D minor: i (tonic)
G minor: v (dominant)
A minor: iv (subdominant)
B♭ major: iii
F major: vi
C major: ii

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

F – relative major: two shared notes
B♭ – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Dm7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

D5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

Dm7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Dm6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Dm9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Dm chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Dm on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Am shape at fret 5.

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 Dm chord written?

The chord symbol is Dm, and its full name is D minor.