D D major chord
- Notes
- D F# A
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 above the root
- Other symbols
- DM, Dmaj
D to F# is a major third (4 semitones), F# to A is a minor third (3 semitones). The major triad: a major third with a minor third on top, the tonic chord of the key of D major.
D on the piano
Root position from D4: D4, F#4, A4. Middle C is C4.
D on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has D as its lowest note.
x x 0 2 3 2 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 D4 F#4
x 5 7 7 7 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 D4 F#4 A4
10 12 12 11 10 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 D4 F#4 A4 D5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major chords on other roots.
Inversions of D
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | D F# A | D | |
| 1st inversion | F# A D | D/F# | |
| 2nd inversion | A D F# | D/A |
Where D fits
D is I in D major, IV in A major, V in G major, V in G minor. As V in a minor key it comes from the harmonic minor scale, whose raised seventh degree is this chord's third, F#.