Chords in the key of D minor
The key of D minor has one flat (B♭). Its seven chords are Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C. Tap any of them, or play them in order.
Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.
The chords that do most of the work
Think of D minor as Dm plus three pillars: Gm (iv), B♭ (VI) and C (VII). The dominant is the flexible one: Am for a soft, folk sound, A or A7 for a classical pull home.
Key signature
D minor has one flat (B♭), printed once at the start of each staff. Flat keys add one flat per step counterclockwise around the circle of fifths: D minor sits between A minor and G minor.
The notes of the key are the D natural minor scale: D E F G A B♭ C. Relative major: F major (same notes). Parallel major: D major (same starting note).
Progressions in D minor
The progression player below starts in D minor. Change the key to hear the same pattern anywhere; the numerals stay the same.
In D minor, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- iDm
- VIB♭
- IIIF
- VIIC
| Progression | In D minor | |
|---|---|---|
| i–VI–III–VII the minor anthem | Dm – B♭ – F – C | |
| i–iv–V the minor cadence | Dm – Gm – A – Dm | |
| i–VII–VI–V the Andalusian cadence | Dm – C – B♭ – A | |
| i–VII–VI–VII the epic minor loop | Dm – C – B♭ – C |
Making D minor chords pull harder
Any chord in D minor can get its own V7. It isn't in the key, but it points straight at the chord that follows.
- V7 of III
- V7 of iv
- V7 of v
- V7 of VI
- V7 of VII
Mixing major and minor
Minor-key songs often take chords from D major, the parallel major: G (IV), D (I) and Em (ii). The major IV gives a brighter, Dorian lift, and ending a minor piece on the major I is the old "Picardy third".
Seventh chords in D minor
Stack one more third on each triad for the seventh chords: Dm7, Em7♭5, Fmaj7, Gm7, Am7, B♭maj7 and C7. With the borrowed major V it becomes A7.
Playing in D minor on guitar
D minor is one of the open-chord keys: Dm, Edim, Am and C all use open strings, and only F, Gm and B♭ need a barre or a partial barre.
Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works
Other keys
Key of D minor: questions
What chords are in the key of D minor?
Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C. As numerals: i = Dm, ii° = Edim, III = F, iv = Gm, v = Am, VI = B♭, VII = C. Most songs in D minor also use A (major V) in place of Am.
How many sharps or flats are in D minor?
One flat (B♭).
What is the relative major of D minor?
F major. The two keys share all seven notes.
What are the i, iv and V chords in D minor?
Dm (i), Gm (iv) and A (V, borrowed from the harmonic minor). With those three you can accompany most folk and blues tunes in the key.
How do I play in D minor on guitar with a capo?
You don't need one: D minor uses open chord shapes directly.
Every chord and progression on this page is computed from the D natural minor scale and checked by the site's theory tests. Updated September 2026.