How To Play Dm Piano Chord

The Dm piano chord is within the first 10 chords you should learn. It's a pretty easy one as well as it's on all white keys - D F and A.

Dm is a minor chord. You know it's minor from the small "m".

On this page you'll learn more about the Dm chord including:

Dm piano chord notes
Dm piano chord chart
how to play it - video
finger positions for D minor chord
Dm/F piano chord
Dm/A piano chord
Dm chord progressions to practice
what other chords fit with Dm
and some theory!

Dm Piano Chord Notes

The notes of the Dm piano chord are D F A.

You can play these notes in the right hand or the left hand. If you play them in the left hand, keep D as your lowest note. Otherwise, the notes don't need to be in any particular order.

In the beginning however, it can be helpful to learn to play this as a block in root position (which is D F A).

Dm Piano Chord Chart

Here is the D minor chord in the treble clef and on the piano keys:

How To Play Dm Piano Chord

This very short video will show you how to play the Dm chord on the piano keyboard and which fingers to use.

D Minor Chord Piano Finger Positions

Dm chord can be played using the standard finger positions for all major and minor chords - fingers 1, 3 and 5. Those are you thumb, middle finger and pinkie.

Getting into the habit and developing muscle memory by playing with these fingers is really beneficial and will pay off down the road.

Dm/F Piano Chord

Anytime you see a chord with a slash, the note that follows the slash is your bass note. That means you play it as your lowest note in the left hand.

In the case of Dm/F, play F as your lowest note in your left hand. The rest of the Dm notes should be played above that.

Changing the bass note of what you're playing changes the sound. In this case, it won't be as heavily a minor sound.

Dm/A Piano Chord

When you see Dm/A piano chord, play A as the bass note - the lowest note in your left hand. The rest of the Dm chord notes can be played above that or you can play the whole chord in your right hand.

Dm Piano Chord Progression

Here are some good, basic chord progressions to practice the Dm chord with:

Dm Chord Progression 1:

Dm Gm F A

Dm Chord Progression 2:

Dm F C Am

Dm Chord Progression 3:

F Bb Dm C

And here are some tips on practicing chord progressions.

What Chords Fit with Dm

The D minor chord is common in three main keys:

That means it will fit with any chords from those keys.

Great chords to pair with Dm in the key of F (1 flat - Bb) are:

Great chords to pair with Dm in the key of C are:

Great chords to pair with Dm in the key of Bb (2 flats - Bb, Eb) are:

If you need more help understanding key signatures, visit the key signatures page.

D Minor Piano Chord Inversions

Inversions are standard positions you can learn to play chords in. They are especially helpful in changing from chord to chord quickly.

With inversions, you basically take the bottom note you're playing and put it at the top.

Dm piano chord inversions are:

Root: D F A

1st Inversion: F A D

2nd Inversion: A D F

Chord Theory for D Minor Chord

The D minor chord is built off of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the D minor scale.

The D minor scale is: D E F G A Bb C D

So as you can see, 1 = D, 3 = F, 5 = A

Another way to find this chord is from the D major chord (D F# A). You can turn D into Dm by lowering the 3rd - F# - one semi-tone. So F# becomes F. This works for any major chord to minor chord.

If you need to look up more chords, visit the Piano Chord Charts page or download your own copy below.

Free Download:

Ultimate Chord Cheat Sheet

Subscribe below and get free access to the (printable) Ultimate Chord Cheat Sheet.

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