Guitar chord · Open shape · Standard tuning
D major guitar chord (D)
Place finger 1 on the 2nd fret of the G, finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the B, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the high e. Don't play the low E or A strings.
D – F♯ – A
Loop strum: down, down-up, up-down-up on 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
Next moves
3 fingers, 4 strings, chart notation xx0232. Tap the chord box to hear it strummed, then play it string by string to check every note is ringing cleanly.
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
- F♯ — the major 3rd
- A — the perfect 5th
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.
A first strum pattern
Count “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” — eighth notes (quavers). Strum down, down-up, up-down-up: down on 1, down on 2, up on the “&” of 2, up on the “&” of 3, down on 4, up on the “&” of 4. Keep your hand moving down and up all the time, and only touch the strings on the marked counts.
Start the strum loop above at 60–70 BPM and change chords on beat 1.
D major FAQ
How do you play D major on guitar?
Place finger 1 on the 2nd fret of the G, finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the B, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the high e. Don't play the low E or A strings. In chart notation it is xx0232, low E string first.
What notes are in D major?
D, F♯ and A: the root, the major 3rd and the perfect 5th.
What chord comes after D major?
Common changes from D major: G major, A major and B minor. Practice the switch slowly with the strum loop, then speed it up.
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.