Introduction to the D chord on guitar

Learning to play the D chord on guitar is a common first step in a guitarist’s journey. This lesson will help you learn it with ease.

It’s 1 of the 5 foundational open major guitar chords, the other 4 chords being C,A,G, and E.

How to play the open D chord on guitar

The most commonly seen version of the D chord on guitar is the 3 finger, open position shape. This is called the “D shape”.

Here’s how to play the D chord, step-by-step:

Place your middle finger on fret 2 of the high E string
Place your ring finger on fret 3 of the B string
Place your index finger on fret 2 of the G string
Strum all strings starting from the D string. Make sure you don’t play the low E string or A string.

D Major Open Chord

Don’t know how to read chord charts? Learn here.

Don’t know the guitar string names and order? Learn here.

The notes in the D major chord are D,F#, and A.

D	F#	A
1 (root)	3 (third)	5 (fifth)

Learn about intervals from pudgetsound.

Now that you’ve learned the D chord on guitar you can move onto new things!

Here are some recommended lessons.

Guitar Chords In The Key Of D Major

Learn The Notes on The Guitar Neck (Step-by-Step Guide)

How to Play Guitar Arpeggios: Everything You Need to Know

Music Theory Terms List (PDF & Definitions)

The post How to Play The D Chord on Guitar first appeared on Guitarfluence and is written by Miles Halter

This post first appeared on Guitar, please read the originial post: here