Guitar chord · Open shape · Standard tuning
D major guitar chord (D)
3 fingers, 4 strings, chart notation xx0232. Tap the chord chart to hear it strummed, then arpeggio it to check every note is ringing cleanly.
All the strings in one sweep, low to high — how the chord sounds in a song.
- Strings, low to high
- D · A · D · F♯
- Chord tones
- D R · F♯ 3 · A 5
How to play D
Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).
- 1st finger (index) — 2nd fret, G string
- 2nd finger (middle) — 2nd fret, high E string
- 3rd finger (ring) — 3rd fret, B string
- Play open: D (4th) — strum it without fretting anything.
- Leave out: low E (6th) and A (5th) — start the strum below them, or damp them with the side of the thumb.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th — low E | Not played | — | × |
| 5th — A | Not played | — | × |
| 4th — D | Open | — | D |
| 3rd — G | 2nd fret | 1 (index) | A |
| 2nd — B | 3rd fret | 3 (ring) | D |
| 1st — high E | 2nd fret | 2 (middle) | F♯ |
Notes and intervals in D
D is built from 3 notes: D, F♯ and A.
- D — the root (R)
- F♯ — the major 3rd (3)
- A — the perfect 5th (5)
Across the six strings the shape sounds D · A · D · F♯ from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.
What D is used for
D is a four-string chord with an open D in the bass, so it sounds smaller than the other majors and needs a more committed strum. It is the I in D, the IV in A and the V in G — the third corner of the beginner key triangle — and the fingers form a tight triangle pointing at the 3rd fret of the B string.
Common mistakes with D
- Strumming the bottom two strings. D uses only the top four; hitting the low E adds a bass note that is not in the chord and makes it sound muddy.
- Fingers stacked flat on top of one another. The triangle is cramped, so bring the fingertips down vertically rather than laying the fingers across the strings.
- The high E buzzing because the middle finger sits too far behind the 2nd fret wire.
Guitar chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.