# D Minor piano chord (Dm)

Dm contains D, F and A. A minor third with a perfect fifth above the root. Every note is a white key.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/minor/d/
- Entity: chord:minor:d
- Notes: D F A
- Formula: 1 ♭3 5
- Intervals from root: P1, m3, P5
- Interval stack (semitones): 3 4
- Also written: Dm, Dm, D minor
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | D | Perfect unison | 0 |
| ♭3 | F | Minor third | 3 |
| 5 | A | Perfect fifth | 7 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 1 on D, finger 3 on F, finger 5 on A. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | D | D3 F3 A3 | 5/3 | 7 st, 96 mm |
| First inversion (Dm/F) | F | F3 A3 D4 | 6/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Second inversion (Dm/A) | A | A3 D4 F4 | 6/4 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (5)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | D3 F3 A3 | 7 st, 96 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | F3 A3 D4 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | A3 D4 F4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Open, fifth on top | D2 A2 F3 | 15 st, 206 mm | identical | none |
| Root and third only | D3 F3 | 3 st, 41 mm | subset | omits A |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C major | ii | Predominant |
| D minor | i | Tonic, home |
| F major | vi | Tonic substitute |
| G minor | v | Minor dominant |
| A minor | iv | Subdominant |
| B♭ major | iii | Tonic substitute |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (8)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ii, V, I | C major | ii | Dm to G to C | Dm opens the phrase |
| ii°, v, i | D minor | i | Edim to Am to Dm | 1 tone held from Am |
| iv, i | D minor | i | Gm to Dm | 1 tone held from Gm |
| i, ♭VI, ii°, v | D minor | i | Dm to B♭ to Edim to Am | Dm opens the phrase |
| vi, IV, I, V | F major | vi | Dm to B♭ to F to C | Dm opens the phrase |
| I, vi | F major | vi | F to Dm | 2 tones held from F |
| v, i | G minor | v | Dm to Gm | Dm opens the phrase |
| ii°, v, i | G minor | v | Adim to Dm to Gm | 1 tone held from Adim |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dm7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | adds C | 3 |
| DmMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | adds C♯ | 3 |
| Dm6 | 1 ♭3 5 6 | adds B | 3 |
| D | 1 3 5 | F becomes F♯ | 2 |
| Ddim | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | A becomes A♭ | 2 |
| Dsus2 | 1 2 5 | F becomes E | 2 |
| Dsus4 | 1 4 5 | F becomes G | 2 |
| Dmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | F becomes F♯, C♯ | 2 |
| D7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | F becomes F♯, C | 2 |
| Dm7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | A becomes A♭, C | 2 |
| Ddim7 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | A becomes A♭, C♭ | 2 |
| D7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | F becomes G, C | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {2, 5, 9}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 3, 7]
- Normal order: [2, 5, 9]
- Prime form: (037)
- Forte number: 3-11
- Interval vector: <001110>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| D3 | 50 | 146.83 Hz |
| F3 | 53 | 174.61 Hz |
| A3 | 57 | 220.00 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in Dm?

Dm contains D, F and A. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5.

### How do you play Dm on piano?

Play D, F and A together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. Every note is a white key.

### What are the inversions of Dm?

3 positions: root position D F A, Dm/F, Dm/A.

### What keys contain Dm?

6: ii in C major, i in D minor, vi in F major, v in G minor, iv in A minor, iii in B♭ major.

### What is the difference between Dm and Dm7?

Adds C. 3 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy Dm for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, D3 F3, spans 3 semitones or about 41 mm.

### What are the frequencies of Dm?

From D3 at A440 in 12-TET: 146.83, 174.61, 220.00 Hz.

### What is the set class of Dm?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector &lt;001110&gt;.

### How do I transpose Dm to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, 5 formula on the new root. Cm is C, E♭, G; C♯m is C♯, E, G♯.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:minor:d
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12