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.
Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| D | Root | 1 |
| F | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| A | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| C | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
D Minor 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | D – F – A – C |
| 1st Inversion | F – A – C – D |
| 2nd Inversion | A – C – D – F |
| 3rd Inversion | C – D – F – A |
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♭).
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.
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:
How D Minor 7th functions in a key
The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where D Minor 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:
- In F major, D Minor 7th is the vi chord — the tonic.
- In D minor, D Minor 7th is the i chord — the tonic.
- In C major, D Minor 7th is the ii chord — a predominant.
- In A minor, D Minor 7th is the iv chord — a predominant.
- In B♭ major, D Minor 7th is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
- In G minor, D Minor 7th is the v chord.
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: