How to play the D Major chord on guitar
D sits on the top four strings only, so it sounds bright and thin next to G or C — that contrast is exactly why the three are so often used together. The triangle shape is compact, but the pick hand has to avoid the two lowest strings entirely.
D Major is a major triad — root, major third and fifth: D, F#, A. The major third is what makes it sound bright rather than sad.
Finger it one string at a time
- low E string: don't play it.
- A string: don't play it.
- D string: play it open.
- G string: fret 2 with your index finger.
- B string: fret 3 with your ring finger.
- high E string: fret 2 with your middle finger.
Only strum the top 4 strings. Keep fingers close to the frets.
What makes this shape awkward
- 2 strings stay silent, so your strumming hand has to start on the right string. Aim the pick rather than sweeping all six.
Other voicings
D Major can also be played with a different note in the bass. Each voicing keeps the same notes and changes which one you hear lowest.
- Root Position — D in the bass.
- 1st Inversion — F# in the bass.
- 2nd Inversion — A in the bass.
Where you'll use it
D appears in 4 of the play-along progressions in RiffRoute. These are the actual sequences it sits in:
- Open Sky Anthem (Britpop, 88 BPM) —
G → D → Em → C - Your Reflection (Modern Pop, 95 BPM) —
Em → C → G → D - Sunset Highway (Indie Pop, 108 BPM) —
D → Dsus2 → G → A - Highland Mist (Celtic Folk, 84 BPM) —
Em → D → C → Bm
Keys it belongs to
D is diatonic to these keys, which is why it turns up in songs written in them — the bracket is the degree it plays there:
Chords it's usually played with
In the progressions that use D, these turn up alongside it most often — learning them together is more useful than learning D alone.
Hear it and check yourself
Reading a diagram only gets you so far — the part that decides whether D sounds right is whether every string rings cleanly. RiffRoute plays the chord back, listens while you strum it, and tells you which string is buzzing.