Dm — the D minor guitar chord
D minor is the most dramatic of the common open chords, plaintive and a little baroque. The index has to reach out to the 1st fret of the high E, and that stretch is where beginners buzz. As with D, keep the strum to the top four strings.
How to play it
- Index finger on the high E string (1st), 1st fret.
- Middle finger on the G string (3rd), 2nd fret.
- Ring finger on the B string (2nd), 3rd fret.
- Let the open D string (4th) ring.
- Don't strum the low E string (6th) and A string (5th). They stay silent in this shape.
Changes to practice
Holding Dm still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice Dm as changes, alongside the rest of the Open Minors set: