The open D major chord uses only three fretting fingers, but its compact shape can make it easy to mute a string by accident. We’ll show you where each finger goes, how to keep the two lowest strings out of the strum, and how to check that the chord rings clearly. In standard tuning, the common open shape is xx0232: let the D string ring open, fret the G string at the second fret, the B string at the third fret, and the high E string at the second fret. Strum the four highest strings, starting on the open D string.
What notes are in a D major chord?
A D major chord is built from three notes: D, F♯, and A. D is the root, F♯ is the third, and A is the fifth. In the open shape, you hear those notes across four strings, with D doubled: the open fourth string is D, the third string at the second fret is A, the second string at the third fret is D, and the first string at the second fret is F♯. A chord can use more than one string for the same note, so four sounding strings still form a D major chord.
D major chord chart and finger placement
The chart reads from the lowest-pitched string (sixth) to the highest-pitched string (first). String numbers count from the thinnest string:...
