The Dm chord on guitar is a minor triad made from the notes D F A. Dm is the abbreviation for D Minor; another way to abbreviate it is Dmin or D-.
Dm is most often found as the ii chord in the key of C, however it is also found in the keys of: Bb maj, F Maj, Am, Gm and of course, Dm! It would be wise to learn such a popular chord!
This article will teach you the open chord version, as well as barre chord and alternate methods to play the chord. We will also discuss the important theory behind the chord, so you can understand what makes minor chords unique.
Let’s get started!
Dm Chord Theory
We all need to know a LITTLE BIT of music theory…
A triad is made of the root, 3rd, and 5th of a scale.
More specifically, a minor triad is made from the root, minor 3rd and perfect 5th of a scale.
D to F is a minor 3rd (m3), while D to A make a perfect fifth (P5).
D-> F = m3
D -> A = P5
m3 + P5= minor triad
Jazz music often uses lead sheet symbols to notate chords. You might see D Minor notated in the following ways: Dm, Dmin, D-
Dm Chord Easy
Method 1
- Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the 1st string.
- Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string.
- Place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Dm Barre Chords
Method 2
- Place your index finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string and barre.
- Place your middle finger on the 6th fret of the 2nd string.
- Place your ring finger on the 7th fret of the 4th string.
- Place your pinky on the 7th fret of the 3rd string.
Method 3
- Place your index finger on the 10th fret of the 6th string and barre.
- Place your ring finger on the 12th fret of the 5th string.
- Place your pinky on the 12th fret of the 4th string.
Alternate Ways To Play Dm
Method 4
- Place your index finger on the 5th fret of the 1st string.
- Place your middle finger on the 6th fret of the 2nd string.
- Place your ring finger on the 7th fret of the 3rd string.
Method 5
- Place your index finger on the 10th fret of the 3rd string and barre.
Method 6
- Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string.
- Place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string.
- Place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play a Dm power chord on guitar?
A power chord has the notes of 2 roots and a 5th. If we applied this to D, we would get the notes D A D.
This chord is not technically D major or D minor, since the only way we know the difference between the two is the Major or minor 3rd (F# vs Fâ™®)
Regardless, here’s how you play it!
- Place your index finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string.
- Place your ring finger on the 7th fret of the 4th string.
- Place your pinky on the 7th fret of the 3rd string.
By the way, this pattern also works on the 10th fret of the 6th string!
What is the pattern for Dm chords?
The pattern for D minor chords is minor 3rd + Perfect 5th. When applied to the note D we get the notes D F A. The notes of the Dm chord!
What notes are in the key of Dm?
The key of Dm has one flat in its key signature, Bb. So the notes of the Dm scale are D E F G A Bb C.
If we use the D Harmonic minor scale, we raise the 7th scale degree, or the leading tone.
In this case the notes would become D E F G A Bb C# D.
Flats AND sharps in a single scale?! Music can be so confusing sometimes! 😔
What is the difference between D Major and D minor chords?
There is one difference between D Major and D Minor: The 3rd. In a D Major chord the notes are D F# A. In a D Minor chord the notes are D F A. This is why if you use a power chord, you can’t really tell if the chord is major or minor. It could technically be either.
Songs That Use Dm Chords
In The Night – The Weeknd
All The Pretty Girls – Kaleo
Losing My Religion – REM
Easy Chord Progression With The Dm Chord!
Time to get out your guitar! Let’s play this Easy Chord Progression with the D Minor chord!
I call it the I – IV – vi – ii – V7 – I in C.
It goes like this:
Try to make up your own words using these simple guitar chords!
Conclusion
Wow! Talk about a lot of information at once!
The most important key takeaways are this: D minor is made of the notes D F A. D minor is the ii chord in C Major. A minor triad is built from stacking a m3 and P5th. D minor might also be written as Dm, D min, or D-.
