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D Minor 7th

Reviewed for accuracy · Last updated June 2026 · Maintained by Justin Evans

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Dm7
D – F – A – C
Formula:R-m3-P5-m7
Intervals:P1-m3-P5-m7
Scale Degrees:1-b3-5-b7

Practice D Minor 7th

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Introduction

D Minor 7th piano chord, root position — D, F, A, C
The D Minor 7th chord in root position on a piano keyboard, notes D, F, A, C.

The D Minor 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of D, F, A, and C. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.

Notes

Notes:D – F – A – C

D Minor 7th Inversions

D Minor 7th piano chord, 1st inversion — F, A, C, D
The D Minor 7th chord, 1st inversion, on a piano keyboard.
D Minor 7th piano chord, 2nd inversion — A, C, D, F
The D Minor 7th chord, 2nd inversion, on a piano keyboard.
D Minor 7th piano chord, 3rd inversion — C, D, F, A
The D Minor 7th chord, 3rd inversion, on a piano keyboard.
PositionNotes
Root PositionD – F – A – C
1st InversionF – A – C – D
2nd InversionA – C – D – F
3rd InversionD – F – A – C

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the D Minor 7th is the tonic (i) chord of D Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, F Major — 1 flat (B♭).

B♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of D Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of the D minor scale:

C1C2C3C4DFAC5C6C7C8
i — D Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iD MinorMinor
2ii°E DiminishedDiminished
3IIIF MajorMajor
4ivG MinorMinor
5vA MinorMinor
6VIA♯ MajorMajor
7VIIC MajorMajor

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D – F – A – C aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

F Major 6→

Theory: Intervals

Formula: R-m3-P5-m7
Intervals: P1-m3-P5-m7

The D Minor 7th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-m3-P5-m7 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-m3-P5-m7 show the distance between each note in the chord.

D Minor 7th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the D Minor 7th chord on piano?
The D Minor 7th chord contains the notes D – F – A – C. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the D Minor 7th chord?
The D Minor 7th chord (Dm7) contains four notes: D (root), F (minor third), A (perfect fifth), and C (minor seventh). All white keys — making Dm7 one of the easiest minor 7th chords to play on piano.
How does D Minor 7th differ from D Dominant 7th?
Both have D as root and C as seventh. The difference is the third: Dm7 has F (minor third) while D7 has F# (major third). Dm7 sounds smooth and introspective; D7 sounds bright and driving toward G Major.
How is D Minor 7th used in music?
Dm7 is the ii chord in C Major — the most common key in music. The progression Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 is likely the single most played ii–V–I in jazz history. Dm7 also appears as i in D minor jazz contexts and in countless pop songs.
What genres commonly use Minor 7th chords?
Minor 7th chords are essential in jazz, R&B, neo-soul, soul, funk, lo-fi hip-hop, and bossa nova. They provide the smooth, dark quality that defines these genres. Dm7 specifically is ubiquitous because C Major is the most common key.
What songs use Minor 7th chords?
Dm7 is one of the most common chords in recorded music. Autumn Leaves, So What (Miles Davis), and Fly Me to the Moon all feature minor 7th chords prominently. Dm7 specifically opens countless jazz standards in C Major.
What is the ii–V–I progression?
The ii–V–I is the most important progression in jazz: Dm7 (ii) → G7 (V) → Cmaj7 (I) in C Major. This is probably the single most played chord progression in jazz history. Learning it is non-negotiable for jazz piano.

Practice Tips

  • Dm7 is all white keys (D–F–A–C) — one of the easiest minor 7th chords physically. Use it to learn the minor 7th sound before tackling harder keys.
  • Practice the most important jazz progression: Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7. This ii–V–I in C Major should become completely automatic.
  • Compare Dm7 with D7 — one semitone (F vs F#) is the difference between smooth introspection and bright drive. Train your ear.
  • Try the So What approach: loop Dm7 for 8 bars, then Em7 for 8 bars. This modal feel defined a generation of jazz.
  • Dm7 works beautifully in bossa nova — try Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7 → Fmaj7 with a gentle syncopated pattern.
  • Rootless voicing: play F–A–C without the D — this is just an F Major triad, which is how jazz pianists often voice the ii chord.

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

How this chord page is sourced & verified

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this page are drawn from the established body of Western music theory and verified against the conventions below — the same fundamentals taught in conservatories and music programs. We list categories of source material rather than individual titles, and reference the standards themselves rather than any single edition.

  • Standard music theory texts — Widely taught fundamentals of pitch, rhythm, and notation.
  • Western tonal harmony conventions — Established rules for chord construction, voice leading, and key relationships.
  • Interval and chord construction standards — The conventional spelling of intervals, triads, sevenths, and extensions.
  • Scale and mode theory — The common derivation of major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and modal scales.
  • Piano pedagogy and technique references — Long-standing practices for fingering, hand position, and practice.

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