Root position
D – F – AThe root D is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · ♭3 · 5
D Minor Piano Chord (Dm)
D minor is built from D, F and A — the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above D. The shape uses white keys only, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
D Minor
Notes
D · F · AFormula
1 · ♭3 · 5Right hand
1 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds Dm. Press P or the Play chord button to hear D, F, A sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in D minor
A minor triad reverses the major arrangement: a minor third first, then a major third. Only the middle note moves, yet the chord sounds noticeably darker and more inward. Minor triads sit on the second, third and sixth degrees of a major scale, and on the first degree of a minor key.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Fwhite key | Minor third | ♭3 | 3 | 3 · middle finger |
| Awhite key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play D minor on piano
- Find D: it is the white key between the two black keys of a group of two.
- Build upwards from D using 3 and 7 semitones to reach F and A.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on D, finger 3 on F and finger 5 on A. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Every note here is a white key, so you can sit your hand slightly further out from the fallboard.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how D minor settles.
- Try first inversion as well: F – A – D. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
D minor in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
F – A – DF is the lowest note, so the minor third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
A – D – FA is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain D minor
In C major the chord functions as ii. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 6 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- C majorii
- F majorvi
- B♭ majoriii
- D minori
- G minorv
- A minoriv
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
D minor against D major
D minor and D major share D and A. Moving the major third F# down 1 semitone to the minor third F turns D major into D minor.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes D, A still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open D major →Good questions
D minor questions
What notes are in the D minor chord?
D minor contains D, F and A. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above D.
What is the right-hand fingering for D minor?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on D, 3 (middle finger) on F and 5 (little finger) on A. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is D minor different from D major?
D minor and D major share D and A. Moving the major third F# down 1 semitone to the minor third F turns D major into D minor.
Which keys use the D minor chord?
It occurs naturally in C major (ii), F major (vi), B♭ major (iii), D minor (i), G minor (v) and A minor (iv). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of D minor?
root position is D – F – A, first inversion is F – A – D and second inversion is A – D – F. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.