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D minor 7th chord on guitar (Dm7)
Also called or written Dm7 or Dmin7
D minor 7th contains D, F, A, and C. The open voicing is advanced because the low E and A strings must be muted while the other four strings ring.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionD–F–A–CDm7×-×-0-2-1-1
- First inversionF–A–C–DDm7/F1-0-0-2-1-1
- Second inversionA–C–D–FDm7/A×-0-0-2-1-1
- Third inversionC–D–F–ADm7/C×-3-0-2-1-1
How do you play a D minor 7th chord on guitar?
D minor 7th is played in open position as × × 0 2 1 1: ring finger on the G string at fret 2, index finger on the B string at fret 1 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭3) |
AdvancedThe low E and A strings must be muted while the other four strings ring, which requires precise right-hand control.
3rd fret
D minor 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 3 5 3 5: barre your index finger across fret 3, middle finger on the A string at fret 5, ring finger on the G string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 2 | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (5) |
5th fret
D minor 7th is played at the 5th fret as × 5 7 5 6 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, pinky finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the B string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 4 | A (5) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | F (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
10th fret
D minor 7th is played at the 10th fret as 10 12 10 10 10 10: barre your index finger across fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 4 | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
12th fret
D minor 7th is played at the 12th fret as × × 12 14 13 13: index finger on the D string at fret 12, pinky finger on the G string at fret 14, middle finger on the B string at fret 13 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 13. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 4 | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 2 | C (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 3 | F (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
D minor 7th is built from 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The ♭7 adds a mellow edge to the minor triad. Compare it with D minor, which has no seventh.
What goes wrong with D minor 7th?
- The low E string rings out, muddying the bass.
- The A string rings out, muddying the bass.
- The index finger collapses and mutes the G string.
When to use it
D minor 7th works in the I–V–vi–IV progression in F major: F major–C major–D minor–B♭ major. It suits folk, pop, and ballads.
Changing to and from D minor 7th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/f-major-chord">F major</a> by lifting the ring finger and moving the index and middle fingers to the 1st fret on the B and high E strings.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing is the easiest to grab. The 3rd fret barre is fuller and better for strumming. The 10th fret barre is brighter and cuts through a mix.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D minor 7th written?
D minor 7th is written as Dmin7 or Dm7.
What is the difference between D minor 7th and D minor?
D minor 7th adds the note C to the D minor triad. That C is a minor 7th above D, giving the chord a softer, more colorful sound.
Why are the low E and A strings muted in the open voicing?
The low E is not a chord tone, so it would clash. The A is a chord tone, but muting it keeps the bass note on the D string.