D chord on guitar

D is the D major chord. Its notes are D, F♯ and A. A clear, stable sound. A natural home chord in a major key.

How to play D

Open shape

×E×A○DGBe

xx0232

Barre chord

fret 5, A shape
BARRE×EADGBe5

x57775

Barre chord

fret 10, E shape
BARREEADGBe10

10-12-12-11-10-10

Barre tip: the long bar marked BARRE means one finger presses several strings at once. Lay it flat just behind the fret, press with the bony outer edge rather than the soft middle, and keep your thumb behind the neck. Pick each string one at a time and nudge the finger until none of them buzz.

Numbers show frets from the low E string to the high e string; x means don't play that string.

What's in D

Formula
1 · 3 · 5
Also written
D, DM, Dmaj
Chord type
Major

Keys that use D

D is the I chord in D major, the IV chord in A major and the V chord in G major. That makes it a natural fit in songs written in those keys.

D notes across the neck

open123456789101112F♯ADADF♯ADF♯ADADF♯DF♯AF♯AD

Every D, F♯ and A on the first 12 frets. The filled dots are the root, D. Build your own shape from any nearby group.

Related chords

Other D chords

Other major chords

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