D Minor Chord (Dm)

Need to learn how to play the D minor chord on guitar? Check out the video lesson, chord chart, and photo below to see how to play the Dm chord with ease!

Jump to Section:

• Video Lesson
• Chord Chart & Description
• Notes of the D Minor Chord
• Top 10 Beginner Guitar Songs Featuring the Dm Chord

D Minor Chord Video Lesson

How to play the D Minor guitar chord: Chart, Photo, and Description

To play the Dm chord, place your left hand fingers on the following strings and frets:

• Index (Finger 1): Fret 1, String 1 (F)
• Middle (Finger 2): Fret 2, String 3 (A)
• Ring (Finger 3): Fret 3, String 2 (D)
• You can play String 4 (open D string)
• Avoid playing the string 6 (low E) and string 5 (low A), which have an “X” in the box diagram above. Although the low A note is technically part of the D minor chord and won’t sound bad, more often you’ll want to play string 4 (D) as the lowest note. This is the root of the chord!

The D minor chord shape is one of the shapes you’ll encounter most often on the top three strings. This is especially the case when you start playing chords higher up the neck.

At first glance, the Dm chord looks similar to the D major chord. However, when you start to play it you quickly realize it’s not so similar after all! Only finger 3 is the same between the D major and minor chords.

What are the notes in a D minor chord?

The notes of the Dm chord are:

• D (Root)
• F (Third)
• A (Fifth)

Top 10 Beginner Guitar Songs Featuring the D Minor Chord

1. “Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2)” – Pink Floyd (Dm, G)
2. “The Man Who Sold the World” – Nirvana / David Bowie (A, Dm, F, C)
3. “Paint It Black” – The Rolling Stones (Dm, A, A7, C, F, G)
4. “Somebody That I Used to Know” – Gotye ft. Kimbra (Dm, C)
5. “Black Magic Woman” – Santana (Dm7, Am7, Gm, A7, Dm)
6. “Sultans of Swing” – Dire Straights (Dm, C, Bb, A)
7. “The Sound of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel (Dm, C, F, Bb — capo 1)
8. “Layla” (Unplugged version) – Eric Clapton (Dm, Bb, C, A)
9. “Set Fire to the Rain” – Adele (Dm, F, C, Gm, Bb)
10. “Wayfaring Stranger” – Traditional / Johnny Cash / Jack White (Dm, C, G, Gm, A7)