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D Chord

piano chord chart

The D major triad, more commonly called the D major chord or simply the D chord for short, consists of the notes D, F-sharp and A. Here it is on the treble clef staff:

… and on the piano:

Here is the D major chord on the bass clef staff:

As a major triad, the D chord consists of a major third plus a minor third. The interval from D to F-sharp is a major third, while the interval between F-sharp and A is a minor third.

Inversions of the D Chord

If the root of the D chord – D – is the bass note (i.e., the bottom note), then the chord is in root position:

If the third of the chord – F-sharp – is the bottom note, then the chord is in first inversion:

If the fifth of the chord – A – is the bass note, then the chord is in second inversion. (A is called the fifth of the chord because the interval from the root D to A is a fifth.)

D Major Arpeggios

If the notes of a chord are played one after the other, the chord is said to be arpeggiated. Here are the standard fingerings for arpeggios of the D chord. Make sure you learn these fingerings!

(If you don’t understand the below notation, you should start with my How to Read Sheet Music course.)

D major arpeggio in root position:

D major arpeggio in first inversion:

D major arpeggio in second inversion:

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