How To Play The D Minor Guitar Chord?

D minor is one of those chords that is said to be an essential part of guitar lessons for beginners. 

When we compare it in terms of the difficulty it stands in between, it’s not hard to master, and it’s too easy that you can learn it without any practice. 

Just like any other minor chord in guitar, D minor follows the same pattern, with the only difference in the triad being the 3rd note of the scale, which is lowered down to one fret. If you don’t understand what we just said above, don’t worry; it simply means the D minor guitar chord is quite similar to the D major chord with just one finger placement difference. 

What change is that, you might ask? Well, for that, we have curated this blog. Today, we are going to show you how to play D minor guitar chords on guitar at various positions on the fretboard. In addition to this, we will show you the list of songs that use D minor chords and things you need to remember when you are practicing this chord. So, let’s begin!

Understanding D minor Guitar Chord

D minor chord is one of those chords that composers use to invoke a sense of sadness, melancholy, and negativity. This scenario is quite common with minor chords; like any other minor chord, it creates a serious atmosphere and adds drama to your music, making the listener pay more attention to the song. The reason for D minor and other minor chords to have a sadder tone to them is because each minor contains a flattened 3rd degree; this results in minor chords having a darker sound compared to the major chords. 

Basic Anatomy of the D minor Guitar Chord

Now, let’s find the finger placement for playing the D minor chord on guitar. The D minor chord doesn’t look like a D major chord, and to move from D major to D minor, you will need to change the finger placement of more than one finger. 

There are two methods of playing the D minor chord. If you are a beginner, it is recommended that you use fingers 1, 2, and 4 to play D minor. However, many beginners avoid playing it using their fourth finger because it requires a lot of finger strength, which beginners are not able to obtain during the starting phase. To build muscle strength for each finger, you need to perform some guitar warm-up exercises each time before you start playing your guitar. 

How do you make your D minor guitar chord?

Using your 3rd finger (ring finger) requires you to stretch the finger awkwardly. On the other hand, if you are using 4th finger (pinky finger), it will take you some time before you can actually play the chord, but it will help in building your strength, which is quite beneficial for your guitar learning journey. Given below is the finger placement diagram for the D minor chord:- 

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 1st fret at the 1st string. Step – 2: Put your middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret at the 3rd string. Step – 3: Put your pinky finger (4) on the 3rd fret at the 2nd string. Step – 4: Strum strings from 1st to 4th. 

5 Variations of the D minor Guitar Chord

Now that we have shown the basic version of the D minor chord, let’s look at some variations of it that you should practice. These variations give you better movement across the fretboard. Using these variations, you can quickly shift from the D minor chord to another chord while playing a song, making the transition between chords much faster and more efficient.

1 Dm Chord Easy Variation 

This is the 1st variation which can also be said as the easiest of them all as it is the simplified version of the basic D minor guitar chord. This variation is also an open chord position, so here you have three open strings and the remaining strings are not required to be fretted. 

One thing to keep in mind here is that, even though it is considered to be the D minor guitar chord, its sound is not as great as the default variation of the Dm chord. 

• Step – 1: Place your middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step – 2: Put your ring finger (3) on the 3rd fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step – 3: Strum strings from 2nd to 4th. 

2 Dsus2 (Suspended) Open Position Chord

This is another variation that requires you to only place two fingers on the fretboard. It is said to be a suspended chord meaning it will have a slightly different sound in comparison to the original D minor guitar chord that you have been playing. Moreover, the suspended chords don’t fall under major or minor chord denotations. 

The suspended D chord is considered to be the easiest, and it sounds pretty amazing, even though it is not as full as the original on the open position of the D minor chord. 

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 2nd fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step – 2: Put your ring finger (3) on the 3rd fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step – 3: Strum strings from 1st to 4th. 

3 Dm Chord Barre Variation

Now, this is a more advanced version of the D minor guitar chord, and surely it is a barre version of the same. With barre chords, you have to hold more than one string across the fret with just one finger. 

It is said to be difficult for beginners to master barre chord variations, but they are vital parts of music theory and guitar playing. When you strum this variation of the D minor chord, you will hear a rich, vibrant sound that is more accurate than the open chord variations. 

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 5th fret across 1st to 5th string. 
• Step – 2: Put your middle finger (2) on the 6th fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step – 3: Put your ring finger (3) on the 7th fret at the 4th string. 
• Step – 4: Put your pinky finger (4) on the 7th fret at the 3rd string. 

This D minor barre variation is considered to be one of the toughest barre chords to master. It requires lots of finger strength and flexibility to place your fingers in the right position on the fretboard. If you are not able to play this variation at the start, don’t feel let down. Keep on practicing. With time and patience, you will surely be able to play it. 

4 D Minor Chord At 5th fret 

The main motive for playing the D minor guitar chord at this position is to get a sparkling and chiming sound. If you keep the bass notes open, then the three strings will give you the root position chord while still sounding delicate. 

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 5th fret at the 1st string. 
• Step – 2: Put your middle finger (2) on the 6th fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step – 3: Put your ring finger (3) on the 7th fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step – 4: Strum strings from 1st to 4th.

5 D Minor Chord At 10th fret

When you move down the neck, you can play the D minor guitar chord by forming half a barre at the 10th fret. This finger placement of the D minor chord produces more sparkle and bright sound. In addition, when you play the first three strings at the 10th fret, they will give you the first inversion of the D minor chord, where the third note is in the bass. 

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 10th fret across 1st to 3rd string. 
• Step – 2: Strum strings from 1st to 4th.

Genres of songs where the D minor Guitar Chord is commonly used

There are many songs, including Bollywood guitar songs, that use D minor chords and their variations. We have divided the list of songs based on their genres to make it easier for you to differentiate them. 

Rock Songs 

• Sultans Of Swing By Dire Straits
• Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 By Pink Floyd 
• Can’t Stand Losing You By The Police 
• Poison By  Alice Cooper
• Once By Pearl Jam 
• White Room By Cream

Pop Songs

• Somebody That I Used To Know By Gotye & Kimbra
• Fake Love By BTS
• Apocalypse By Cigarettes After Sex
• This Velvet Glove By Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Grenade By Bruno Mars
• Perfectly Wrong By Shawn Mendes

Metal Songs

• Mr. Crowley By Ozzy Osbourne
• The Clairvoyant By Iron Maiden
• Shepherd Of Fire By Avenged Sevenfold
• Black Magic Woman By Santana

Bollywood Songs 

• Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho From Hanste Zakhm 
• Tum Mile Dil Khile From From Criminal 
• Chaand Sifarish From Fanna 
• Neele Neele Ambar Par Chand Jab Aaye From Kalakaar