The Key of D Minor for Guitar
The key of D minor has the notes D E F G A B♭ C, 1 flat (B♭), and its relative major is F major.
- Chords
- Dm Edim F Gm Am B♭ C
- Main three
- Dm Gm Am
- Key signature of D minor
- 1 flat (B♭)
Chords in the key
Chords in D minor · moved from D minor · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: D minor (page key)No capo: you play D minor shapes as written.
Fretboard · D minor scale
Tap a dot to hear it; it lights amber while it sounds. Brightest dot = 1, the root (D). Lighter grey = 3 and 5. High e on top, frets 0 to 12, no capo. Swipe the board sideways for frets 7 to 12.
Progression · i–VI–III–VII
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in D minor, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | D F A |
| ii° | Edim | E G B♭ |
| III | F | F A C |
| iv | Gm | G B♭ D |
| v | Am | A C E |
| VI | B♭ | B♭ D F |
| VII | C | C E G |
Seventh chords in D minor
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i7 | Dm7 | D F A C |
| iiø7 | Em7♭5 | E G B♭ D |
| IIImaj7 | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| iv7 | Gm7 | G B♭ D F |
| v7 | Am7 | A C E G |
| VImaj7 | B♭maj7 | B♭ D F A |
| VII7 | C7 | C E G B♭ |
Shapes for the 7th chords of D minor: A7 chord.
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why D minor has 1 flat (B♭)
Every minor scale uses the same step pattern: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. Start that pattern on D and the notes land on D E F G A B♭ C, so the key needs B♭. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
D minor scale in first position
Every note of D minor in frets 0 to 4. Play one finger per fret: fret 1 = finger 1, fret 2 = finger 2, fret 3 = finger 3, fret 4 = finger 4, open strings need no finger.
Tap a dot to hear it. High e on top; the brightest dot is the root.
Past fret 4: D minor scale in every position up the neck, with play-along and a root drone. Pentatonic, blues and the modes work over these chords too: see all guitar scales.
Playing in D minor on guitar
D minor has one flat, B♭, and the same notes as F major. Five of the six open strings are in the scale: both E strings, A, D and G. Only the open B string is out, a half step above B♭.
Dm, Am and C are open chords. F, Gm and B♭ are barres near the nut, and Edim is rare in songs. Small versions help: F as x x 3 2 1 1, Gm on the top four strings at fret 3, and B♭maj7 (x 1 3 2 3 x) for B♭. The open D and A strings give a natural drone under Dm and A.
The A7 shape (x 0 2 0 2 0) is the strongest way home in D minor. Its C♯ comes from the harmonic minor scale and rises a half step to D, so Dm, Gm, A7, Dm is a stronger version of the i–iv–v cadence. Dsus2 (x x 0 2 3 0) is a quick colour change from Dm: lift one finger and the open high e rings.
Common progressions in D minor
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| i–VI–III–VII | Dm B♭ F C | Dm B♭ F C: open Dm and C around two barres; B♭maj7 (x 1 3 2 3 x) eases the hardest one. |
| i–iv–v–i | Dm Gm Am Dm | Dm Gm Am Dm: play A or A7 (x 0 2 0 2 0) in place of Am and the C♯ leads straight back to D. |
| i–VII–VI–VII | Dm C B♭ C | Dm C B♭ C: the falling rock loop in D minor, with the bass on D, C and B♭. |
| i–iv–VII–III | Dm Gm C F | Dm Gm C F: the fifths chain ends on F, the relative major. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and D minor
D minor is open already. Capo 5 with Am shapes also sounds in D minor and adds a bright second voicing; the other way round, Dm shapes with a capo move a song to E minor (capo 2) or F minor (capo 3).
| Capo | Dm shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | E♭ minor |
| Fret 2 | E minor |
| Fret 3 | F minor |
| Fret 4 | F♯ minor |
| Fret 5 | G minor |
| Fret 6 | G♯ minor |
| Fret 7 | A minor |
Song in another key? Capo for D minor songs: the capo fret and easier shapes, or any other key.
New to the capo? How to use a capo: where to clamp it and why the same shapes sound in a new key.
Relative major: F major
F major uses the same seven notes, starting on F, the 3rd note of the scale. Its chord is the III in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
Songs in D minor
- Sultans of Swing · Dire Straits
Recorded in D minor. Dm, C, B♭ and A shapes sound in the same key as the record, no capo.
Have a recording and no idea what key it is in? Find the key of a song from the audio file or by letting it listen; it also gives the chords to play and the easiest capo.
Related keys
- The key of F majorrelative
- The key of D majorparallel
- The key of G minorcircle, one step left
- The key of A minorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about D minor
What chords are in the key of D minor?
Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C. Dm, Am and C are open; many songs play A or A7 instead of Am.
How many flats are in D minor?
One, B♭. The scale is D E F G A B♭ C, the same notes as F major.
Which open string does not fit D minor?
The B string. The key has B♭, so an open B rings a half step sharp against it; mute it or fret it.
What is the relative major of D minor?
F major, with the same one flat. F is the III chord of D minor.
Next steps in D minor
- Progressions in D minorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- D minor pentatonicthe five-note soloing scale
- Open D minor (DADFAD)the open strings ring a D minor chord
- D harmonic minorraised 7th: where the major V chord comes from
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along