Learn which notes are part of the D minor chord and how to play it in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion on the piano.
What Notes Make up the D minor Chord?
The notes of the D minor chord are D – F – A.
The symbol for the D minor chord is Dm.
The Dm chord is a triad because it has three notes: root (D), minor third (F), and perfect fifth (A).
How Do You Play the D minor Chord on the Piano?
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the D minor chord on the piano in root position:
You can see that the first note from the left is D (the root), the second note is F (the minor third), and the third note is A (the perfect fifth).
What is the Lowest Note in the D minor Chord?
Making the assumption that you are playing the Dm in root position the lowest note is D.
How Do You Remember the Dm?
Here is how to remember the notes of the D minor chord:
- Start from the first note of the chord (the root) that for the D minor chord is D.
- To find the second note of the chord calculate a minor third from the root (F).
- Then to find the third note of the chord calculate the perfect fifth from the root (A).
This applies if you are playing the D minor chord in root position.
What is the 1st Inversion of the Dm Chord?
The 1st inversion of the Dm chord starts with the note F.
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the D minor chord on the piano in the first inversion:
The notes of the Dm chord in the 1st inversion are F – A – D.
How Do You Play the 2nd Inversion of the Dm Chord?
The 2nd inversion of the Dm chord starts with the note A.
Below you can see how to play the notes of the second inversion of the D minor chord on the piano:
The notes of the 2nd inversion of the Dm chord are A – D – F.
Also considering that the Dm chord is a triad (it consists of three notes) there is no 3rd inversion because it would be the same as the root position.