D Minor

How to play D minor on the piano

As one of the minor chords with no black keys, D minor is a popular one on the piano. To play the chord, start by finding its root: D. Looking at the keyboard, find the black keys in groups of two. The white key between those two black keys is D.

The following notes make up the D minor chord: D, F and A. To play the chord in its root position with your right hand, use these fingers:

A - Fifth finger (5)
F - Third finger (3)
D - First finger (1)

Read: Learn more about major and minor chords here.

With your left hand, use the following fingers to play the chord in its root position:

A - First finger (1)
F - Third finger (3)
D - First finger (5)

Depending on the piece of music you're playing, you might find it easier to use different fingers to play the chord. Watch the video above to see how the D minor chord is built.

What are the inversions of D minor?

You can rearrange the notes in D minor to create two inversions of the chord. Keep reading to learn how to play the first and second inversions of D minor.

How to play the first inversion of D minor

To play the first inversion of D minor, start with F as the lowest note. You can play this inversion with your right hand using the following fingers:

D - Fifth finger (5)
A - Second finger (2)
F - First finger (1)

Read: Learn more about chord inversions here.

How to play the second inversion of D minor

For the second inversion of D minor, A becomes the lowest note. You can play this inversion with your right hand using the following fingers:

F - Fifth finger (5)
D - Third finger (3)
A - First finger (1)