How to play the D chord on the guitar

One major guitar chord in many popular songs across different styles is D major. You should learn how to play D major as a beginner, along with a handful of other basic guitar chords, like C, A, and G. We’ll show you how to play this essential beginner chord and some variations to spice up your playing.

How to play the D major chord

The D major chord is fairly simple – you only need three fingers and four strings to play it. However, the main challenge with the D chord is playing only the right strings. In addition, some players may find it hard to create the proper chord shape, as the three fingers are grouped closely together.

Here’s how to position your fingers:

• First finger (index finger): Press down on the second fret of the G string.
• Second finger (middle finger): Press down on the second fret of the high E string.
• Third finger (ring finger): Press down on the third fret of the B string.

In addition to the three highest strings that you fret with your index, middle, and ring fingers, there’s also one single open string. That’s why the D major is called an open chord, also known as a cowboy chord.

How to avoid playing extra strings

To play a clean D chord on the guitar, you should play the chord without any unwanted strings. If it’s difficult to avoid the two lowest strings (E and A), there are some things you can do to improve your strumming accuracy.

Many guitarists prefer to strum chords with only their fingers. However, you can practice the D chord using a guitar pick. This gives you greater accuracy and control over which strings you play and which ones you don’t.

It takes a lot of practice before playing just the right strings becomes second nature. If you find yourself accidentally hitting one or both of the lowest strings, you can also try muting these with your thumb. Just wrap your thumb around the neck of the guitar to reach over the low strings. You may need to reposition your fretting hand.

What’s the difference between the D major and minor chords?

One chord closely related to D major is the D minor chord. The difference between minor and major chords is quite easy to notice just by listening to them.

Although the D major and minor guitar chord shapes look very similar, they sound strikingly different. The major chord is bright and happy, whereas the minor sounds darker and moodier.

A major chord consists of the root note, the major third, and the perfect fifth of the major scale. The root note is what gives the chord its name — in this case, D. A minor chord, on the other hand, is built from the natural minor scale and consists of the root note, the minor third, and the perfect fifth of the minor scale.

Here’s the difference between the D minor and D major chords:

• D major chord: Consists of D, F#, and A, which gives the chord its bright and happy sound
• D minor chord: Consists of D, F, and A, which creates a darker, more melancholic sound

How to play the D minor chord

Playing the D minor chord can be more difficult than its major counterpart. Looking at the chord chart, you’ll notice that only the high E string is played in a different position. It is played on the first fret instead of the second fret. However, in order to do this, you need to change the position of both your index and middle fingers while your ring finger stays in the same position.

Your index finger will press down on the high E string while your middle finger is on the G string. This requires more finger dexterity compared to the D major chord. If you find this way of playing the D minor chord too challenging, try using your pinky finger to fret the B string as well and see if that feels better.

To play D minor, move your index finger to the first fret of the high E string while keeping the other two fingers in position. This small change drastically alters the mood of the chord.

D major chord variations

In addition to the usual way of playing the D major chord, there are some variations that you can use to simplify the chord or add more nuance to it.

D major barre chord

One variation of the D major chord is playing it as a barre chord. Since barre chords require finger strength and plenty of practice, many beginners find this much more difficult than the basic open D chord.

To play D major as a barre chord, hold down all strings except the low E with your index finger on the fifth fret. Use your middle, ring, and pinky fingers to fret the D, G, and B strings. Don’t play the low E string at all.

The challenge of playing a barre chord like this is applying enough pressure with your index finger without accidentally muting strings with your other fingers. Both can lead to fret buzz, not to mention the finger pain many beginners face when playing barre chords for the first time.

Once you’ve mastered this way of playing the D chord, you can easily transition to other similar barre chords, such as the A and B major chords, just by moving up and down the guitar fretboard.

Easy D chord (Dsus2)

If playing D major seems too daunting, don’t worry. You can simplify things a bit while still learning to play the full D chord shape. One way is to use the Dsus2 shape instead (also known as the D suspended second chord).

Although this chord doesn’t sound exactly the same as the full D chord, it’s a great alternative as you only need two fingers to play. Instead of fretting the high E string, leave it open to play Dsus2.

D7 chord

The D7 chord adds a bluesy or jazzy vibe to your playing. Seventh chords are built by adding a seventh note to a standard triad (root, third, and fifth) that brings a distinct quality to the chord.

The D7 chord shape may look similar to D major, but it requires some finger dexterity to get right. Here’s how to play the D7 chord:

1. Press your index finger on the first fret of the B string (2nd string).
2. Press your middle finger on the second fret of the G string (3rd string).
3. Press your ring finger on the second fret of the high E string (1st string).
4. Strum down starting from the open D string (4th string). Don’t play the two lowest A and E strings.

D power chord (D5)

Power chords are simple, versatile, and perfect for rock and pop music. What’s interesting about power chords is that they don’t have a major or minor quality. Power chords like D5 are great for beginners, because you can play them with only two fingers.

To play the D power chord, press down on the fifth fret of the A string (5th string) with your index finger and the seventh fret of the D string (4th string) with your ring finger. To make the chord sound fuller, you can add your pinky on the seventh fret of the G string (3rd string). Play only the strings you’re fretting (A, D, and optionally G), and avoid strumming the other open strings.

To make things even simpler, you can play the exact same chord by pressing the second fret of the G string and leaving the D string open. Then, strum these two strings to play the D power chord with a different chord shape.

When playing power chords, you can move around the fretboard easily without changing the chord shape, which is why chord transitions and progressions are incredibly simple. Practice sliding the D5 shape up and down the neck to play other power chords.

Songs with D major guitar chord

Many songs you may want to play will use the D major guitar chord, as well as a few other common open chords. Here are just a handful of great songs to learn on the guitar that use the basic D major chord.

• “Sweet Home Alabama”, made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd
• “Zombie”, made famous by The Cranberries
• “I’m Yours”, made famous by Jason Mraz
• “Blowin’ in the Wind”, made famous by Bob Dylan
• “Hotel California”, made famous by Eagles

Tips for playing the D chord

• Avoid muting strings: Keep your fingers arched to avoid muting adjacent strings. Make sure to include only the correct strings.
• Strum accurately: Focus only on the four highest strings when strumming the D chord. Using a guitar pick can improve precision. 
• Place fingers correctly: Ensure your fingers press down on the strings just behind the frets, not directly on top. This helps avoid fret buzz and produces a clean sound.
• Practice transitions: Practice switching between the D chord and other chords like G, A, and C to build muscle memory and improve your chord transitions.
• Take it slow: Start by playing the chord slowly and ensure each note rings out clearly. Check the chord diagram if you need to remember where to put your fingers and which strings to play.

Learn the D major guitar chord and more with Yousician

Don’t stop with the D chord. Check out Yousician’s full library of guitar chords. For more helpful information about learning minor and major chords on the guitar, you can also read our beginner’s guide to guitar chords.

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