Also written D, Dmaj or DM
D major contains the notes D, F♯, and A. This intermediate shape stretches the fretting hand across four frets, making clean note separation the main challenge.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
D major is built from the formula 1, 3, 5: root D, major third F♯, and perfect fifth A. The major third, four semitones above the root, gives the chord its bright, stable quality. Lower that third by one semitone to F and you get D minor, the parallel minor with a darker sound.
D major appears as the I chord in the I–IV–V–I progression D–G–A–D in D major. It also works as the IV chord in A major and the V chord in G major. Use D major for bright rock, country, and pop bass lines that need a strong root.
The 10th fret voicing puts the root D in the bass, giving a solid, grounded sound. For a lighter feel, use the D/F♯ inversion, which places the third in the bass and adds forward motion. The D/A inversion with the fifth in the bass works well when you want a less assertive low end.
D major is played at the 10th fret as 10 12 12 11: index finger on the E string at fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 12, pinky finger on the D string at fret 12 and middle finger on the G string at fret 11.
Tip — The stretch from the index finger on the 10th fret to the pinky on the 12th fret requires wide finger independence.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 10 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 3 | A (5) |
| 2 (D) | 12 | 4 | D (1) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
D major is played in open position as 2 0 0 2: index finger on the E string at fret 2 and middle finger on the G string at fret 2. The A and D strings ring open.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (3) |
| 3 (A) | open | — | A (5) |
| 2 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 1 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (5) |
D major is played at the 12th fret as 14 12 12 14: ring finger on the E string at fret 14, index finger on the A string at fret 12, middle finger on the D string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 14.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 14 | 3 | F♯ (3) |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 1 | A (5) |
| 2 (D) | 12 | 2 | D (1) |
| 1 (G) | 14 | 4 | A (5) |
D major is played at the 4th fret as 5 5 4 ×: middle finger on the E string at fret 5, ring finger on the A string at fret 5 and index finger on the D string at fret 4. The G string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 5 | 2 | A (5) |
| 3 (A) | 5 | 3 | D (1) |
| 2 (D) | 4 | 1 | F♯ (3) |
| 1 (G) | muted | — | — |
D major is played at the 11th fret as × 12 12 11: middle finger on the A string at fret 12, ring finger on the D string at fret 12 and index finger on the G string at fret 11. The E string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 2 | A (5) |
| 2 (D) | 12 | 3 | D (1) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 1 | F♯ (3) |
D major is written as D, Dmaj, or DM. There is no enharmonic spelling for D major.
D major has a major third (F♯), while D minor has a minor third (F). This single note changes the chord from bright to dark. The fifth, A, is the same in both chords.
Yes, the D/F♯ inversion at the 2nd fret on the 4th string and open 3rd and 2nd strings omits the high G string. This voicing sits lower and works well when the bass needs to stay out of the guitar's range.