TuneKite

Minor key

D minor

Its seven chords: Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, B♭, C.

Key signature1♭B♭
Relative keyF majorSame notesParallel keyD majorSame home note
Scale of D minor
  • D1
  • E2
  • F3
  • G4
  • A5
  • B♭6
  • C7
Scale of D minorD, E, F, G, A, B♭, C, DDEFGACDB♭

Chords in D minor

  1. iDmHomeDmStrings from lowest to highest: muted, muted, open, fret 2 finger 2, fret 3 finger 3, fret 1 finger 1.DmStrings from lowest to highest: fret 2 finger 2, fret 2 finger 3, fret 1 finger 1, open.Dm62, 65, 69
  2. ii°EdimAwayEdimStrings from lowest to highest: open, fret 1 finger 1, fret 2 finger 2, open, muted, open.EdimStrings from lowest to highest: open, fret 4 finger 4, open, fret 1 finger 1.Edim64, 67, 70
  3. IIIFHomeFStrings from lowest to highest: fret 1 finger 1, fret 3 finger 3, fret 3 finger 4, fret 2 finger 2, fret 1 finger 1, fret 1 finger 1. Barre at fret 1.FStrings from lowest to highest: fret 2 finger 2, open, fret 1 finger 1, open.F65, 69, 72
  4. ivGmAwayGmStrings from lowest to highest: fret 3 finger 1, fret 5 finger 3, fret 5 finger 4, fret 3 finger 1, fret 3 finger 1, fret 3 finger 1. Barre at fret 3.GmStrings from lowest to highest: open, fret 2 finger 2, fret 3 finger 3, fret 1 finger 1.Gm67, 70, 74
  5. vAmTensionAmStrings from lowest to highest: muted, open, fret 2 finger 2, fret 2 finger 3, fret 1 finger 1, open.AmStrings from lowest to highest: fret 2 finger 2, open, open, open.Am69, 72, 76
  6. VIB♭HomeB♭Strings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 1 finger 1, fret 3 finger 2, fret 3 finger 3, fret 3 finger 4, fret 1 finger 1. Barre at fret 1.B♭Strings from lowest to highest: fret 3 finger 3, fret 2 finger 2, fret 1 finger 1, fret 1 finger 1. Barre at fret 1.B♭70, 74, 77
  7. VIICTensionCStrings from lowest to highest: muted, fret 3 finger 3, fret 2 finger 2, open, fret 1 finger 1, open.CStrings from lowest to highest: open, open, open, fret 3 finger 3.C60, 64, 67
DegreeTriadSeventh chordNotes of the seventh chord
1 Di Dmi7 Dm7D F A C
2 Eii° Edimiiø7 Em7♭5E G B♭ D
3 FIII FIIImaj7 Fmaj7F A C E
4 Giv Gmiv7 Gm7G B♭ D F
5 Av Amv7 Am7A C E G
6 B♭VI B♭VImaj7 B♭maj7B♭ D F A
7 CVII CVII7 C7C E G B♭
Harmonic minorV AA C♯ E
Harmonic minorV7 A7A C♯ E G
Harmonic minorvii°7 C♯dim7C♯ E G B♭

Progressions in D minor

Sound

About D minor

D minor is built on the notes D – E – F – G – A – B♭ – C. It has 1♭ in the signature (B♭), so every note of its scale is either a white key or one of those sharps or flats; nothing else is needed. The first note is the home note: melodies in D minor tend to come back to it, and the music feels finished when they do.

The home chord is Dm and the main chords are Dm, Gm and A. Note that A is major: minor keys usually borrow the raised seventh note (C♯) from the harmonic minor scale, so that the fifth chord pulls strongly back to the tonic. Its seventh-chord form is A7.

Its relative key is F major: the same notes and the same signature, starting from F. Many pieces move between the two, and the chords of one are the chords of the other in a different order. The parallel key, D major, starts on the same note but has a different signature.

On the circle of fifths, D minor sits between G minor and A minor, and inside its relative major. Melodies in a minor key often use both the natural and the raised seventh note (C♯), so you will see both versions of the V chord in real music.

On guitar, D minor needs several barre chords. A capo helps: put it on fret 5 and play the shapes Am, C, Dm, Em, F, G, and you sound in D minor with mostly open chords.

To get to know the key, play the scale slowly, then the chords in order from I to vii, saying the Roman numerals aloud. Then try the progressions above with the play button and play along at a steady tempo.

Nearby keys