Here I’ll show you 2 different ways to play a D minor chord (also written as Dm).
Playing the D Minor (Dm) Chord
If you’re ready to tackle barre chords, you’ll be rewarded with a full sounding D minor. (You’ll also find a non-barre version of Dm below.)
Find the 5th fret and bar the 1st through 5th strings. You’ll start by putting the tip of your first finger on the 5th string then flatten your finger and press down on the remaining strings.
Your 2nd finger goes on the 2nd string of the 6th fret. You’ll have two fingers on the 7th fret: your 3rd finger on the 4th string and your 4th finger on the 3rd string.
To play this chord, strum the thinnest 5 stings and there you go! Here’s the Dm chord diagram:
Chord Variation
Another version of D minor doesn’t require barring the strings and is here. It starts on the 1st fret – place your 1st finger on the 1st string. Your 2nd finger goes on the 3rd string of the 2nd fret. Finally, put your 3rd finger on the 2nd string of the 3rd fret.
You’ll only need to strum strings 1 through 4 (not the thickest 2 strings). Here’s what this variation looks like:
For more tips, see how to make your guitar chords easy to play. Also, learn more about guitar chords for beginners including how to take the chords you just learned and move them around the fretboard for new and exciting sounds.
