Chords in every key · 1 flat
Chords in the key of D minor
The seven chords in D minor are Dm, E°, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C. D minor has one flat: B♭.
The seven chords
Play the chords of D minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
On guitar, Dm, Am and C have A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.; the rest are A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck..
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
Key signature and scale
The D minor scale
D minor has one flat: B♭.
- D1
- E2
- F♭3
- G4
- A5
- B♭♭6
- C♭7
- D, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in D minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
i – VI – III – VII
- Dm
- B♭
- F
- C
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- Dm
- C
- B♭
- A
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
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- Em7♭5
- A7
- Dm7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to D minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesF majorF, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm and E°
- Parallel major: same tonicD majorD, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm and C♯°
- One step anticlockwiseG minorGm, A°, B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭ and F
- One step clockwiseA minorAm, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G
Capo
Play D minor with a capo
D minor's main chords are Dm, Gm, Am and B♭. With the A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 5, play them as Am, Dm, Em and F: three of the four are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
Questions
D minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of D minor?
- The seven chords in D minor are Dm, E°, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C. D minor has one flat: B♭.
- What is the relative major of D minor?
- F major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as D minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many flats are in D minor?
- D minor has one flat: B♭.
- Which keys are next to D minor on the circle of fifths?
- G minor (one step anticlockwise) and A minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with D minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.