Guitar chords · Major
D chord on guitar
D (D major) has three notes: D, F♯ and A, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play D
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
D has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., and two A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major.: the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 5 and the E shape at fret 10. A movable shape keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
Open
A shape · fret 5
E shape · fret 10
Notes and formula
What makes D major
A major chord stacks a major 3rd and a perfect 5th on the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.. It is the bright, settled sound most songs start and end on.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 3rd makes D a major chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- DRroot
- F♯3essential
- A5optional
- D, the root
- Other chord tones
Keys
Keys with D
D belongs to seven keys: G major (V), D major (I), A major (IV), E minor (VII), B minor (III), F♯ minor (VI) and G minor (V, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.).
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Progressions
Progressions with D
Common progressions that use D, each in a key that spells it D. The outlined chord is D.
The pop axis in D major
I – V – vi – IV
- D
- A
- Bm
- G
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
Three-chord rock in D major
I – IV – V – IV
- D
- G
- A
- G
Tonic, subdominant, dominant: the key and its two neighbours on the outer ring.
Heard in La Bamba, Twist and Shout, Wild Thing
'50s doo-wop in D major
I – vi – IV – V
- D
- Bm
- G
- A
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in E minor
i – VI – III – VII
- Em
- C
- G
- D
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in E minor
i – VII – VI – V
- Em
- D
- C
- B
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
D over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps D on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- D/F♯
D with its 3rd, F♯, in the bass: the first inversion.
- D/A
D with its 5th, A, in the bass: the second inversion.
- D/C♯
D over C♯, a passing bass a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in D, D/C♯, Bm.
- D/C
D over C, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in D, D/C, G.
Same root
Other chords on D
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- Dm minor
- D7 dominant 7th
- Dmaj7 major 7th
- Dm7 minor 7th
- Dsus2 suspended 2nd
- Dsus4 suspended 4th
- D6 major 6th
- Dm6 minor 6th
- Dadd9 add 9
- D9 dominant 9th
- Dmaj9 major 9th
- Dm9 minor 9th
- D13 dominant 13th
- Dmaj13 major 13th
- Dm11 minor 11th
- D° diminished
- Dm7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- D°7 diminished 7th
- D+ augmented
- D5 power chord
- D7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- Dm(maj7) minor major 7th
- D6/9 six-nine
- Dm(add9) minor add 9
- D7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
D, in short
- What notes are in the D chord?
- D (D major) has three notes: D, F♯ and A, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
- How do you play D on guitar?
- D has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., and two A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major.: the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 5 and the E shape at fret 10.
- What key is D in?
- D belongs to seven keys: G major (V), D major (I), A major (IV), E minor (VII), B minor (III), F♯ minor (VI) and G minor (V, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.).