D chords on guitar

About the D chords on guitar

Most songs that use D chords start from D major, the notes D–F♯–A. Its relative minor key is B minor, which shares the same notes, so the chords of both keys mix naturally.

D appears in G major (V), D major (I), A major (IV), E minor (VII).

Triads are three-note chords, the backbone of most songs. The D triads are D (D–F♯–A), Dm (D–F–A), D5 (D–A), Ddim (D–F–A♭), Daug (D–F♯–A♯).

Seventh chords add a fourth note, a seventh above the root, for a richer or more tense sound: D7 (D–F♯–A–C), Dmaj7 (D–F♯–A–C♯), Dm7 (D–F–A–C), Ddim7 (D–F–A♭–C♭), Dm7♭5 (D–F–A♭–C), Dm(maj7) (D–F–A–C♯), Daug7 (D–F♯–A♯–C).

Extended and added-note chords stack a sixth, ninth, eleventh or thirteenth on top. On D: Dadd9 (D–F♯–A–E), Dm(add9) (D–F–A–E), D6 (D–F♯–A–B), Dm6 (D–F–A–B), D9 (D–F♯–A–C–E), Dm9 (D–F–A–C–E), Dmaj9 (D–F♯–A–C♯–E), D11 (D–F♯–A–C–E–G), D13 (D–F♯–A–C–E–B), D7♯9 (D–F♯–A–C–E♯), D7♭9 (D–F♯–A–C–E♭), D6/9 (D–F♯–A–B–E), Dadd11 (D–F♯–A–G).

Suspended chords replace the third with a second or fourth, so they sound open and unresolved: Dsus2 (D–E–A), Dsus4 (D–G–A), D7sus4 (D–G–A–C), D9sus4 (D–G–A–C–E).

On guitar, many D chords can be played as an open shape or as a barre chord higher up the neck. The diagrams show the most comfortable shape; each chord page has several more, a capo option and strumming patterns.

Chords marked "diagram only" are less common and do not have their own page yet; the diagram and the notes above are all you need to play them.