D Minor

How to play D minor on the piano

As one of the minor chords with no black keys, the D minor chord is used regularly on the piano. To find the root of the chord, look for the black keys in groups of two on the keyboard. The white key between those two black keys is D, the root of D minor.

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

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, the chord is played with the following fingers:

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. Look at the video above to see how the D minor chord is built.

What are the inversions of D minor?

If you adjust the order of the notes of D minor, you'll find there are two inversions of D minor. Read below to learn how to play the 1st and 2nd inversion of D minor.

How to play the 1st inversion of D minor

To play the 1st inversion of D minor, start with F as the lowest note. From there, use the following fingers to play the chord:

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

Read: Learn more about chord inversions here.

How to play the 2nd inversion of D minor

For the 2nd inversion of D minor, the 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)