1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
D major is a major chord made of 3 notes: D, F♯, A. It sounds bright, settled and complete, and you hear it in the home chord of countless songs in every style. It is the I chord of D major and turns up in 5 other keys.
The library above opens on D with 14 shapes up and down the neck, starting with hand-checked ones. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.
| Note | Degree | Interval from D | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | root | 0 |
| F♯ | 3 | major third | 4 |
| A | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5.
xx0232x57775(10)(12)(12)(11)(10)(10)xxx775xx(12)(11)(10)xx5777xThe open position shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 5th fret (x57775): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.
D belongs to 6 keys: I in D major, V in G major, IV in A major, VII in E minor, VI in F♯ minor, III in B minor. In D major, try I–V–vi–IV: D – A – Bm – G.
D, F♯, A: the root, major third, fifth.
Open position: xx0232 (low string first), rated Beginner.
D has F♯ where Dm has F. D sounds bright, settled and complete; Dm sounds darker and more serious than a major chord.
No. The easiest shape is rated Beginner and needs 3 fingers.