This article that you are about to read is all about the D major chord or simply called the D chord. It is one of the five foundational shapes. All across the globe, anyone that is trying to learn the guitar, one of the first very chords and shapes they learn is that of the D chord.
This chord makes an appearance in many, many, many songs. I doubt I am physically and mentally capable of making a list of all the songs that make use of this chord but to name a few, and there is Lean On Me by Bill Withers, Desire by U2, I’ve Got A Feelin’ - The Beatles, etc. Today, we will learn all about the D major chord.
all about the D major chord
Relevance
The D major chord is in the key of D, as logic would have you believe. To attach a single emotion to a musical connotation isn’t the objective thing to do as music is pretty subjective, but it is widely accepted that songs in Major key tend to sound more pleasant and happy, whereas the songs in the Minor key are much more sad and gloomy in comparison.
This isn’t a hard rule but just a general rule of thumb. Exceptions are always there. So, take out the sad songs, and you come to realize that almost every popular song is played in the key of D.
Fun fact: Did you know that D is the third most popular key used in all songs on Spotify. So, yeah, it is quite relevant and used throughout the music industry.
beauty of the D (that is a pun, yes):
The Key of the D is one of the most uplifting and happy sound ones out there. It was called the “the key of glory,” in the Baroque period. It is used not only in most modern songs, but composers of classical music used to play their songs in this key.
Big names too like Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and more. Fun fact: Tin whistles were only playable in D. Another major reason as to why this is a beautiful key is because of simple it really is. Most people tend to sing whilst playing the guitar. It isn’t, however, easy to master both vocals and the guitar.
So, for people that are yet to achieve a broad vocal range, the notes in the key of D, high and low, are comparatively easier to hit without cracking up your voice. If you ever wish to sound better than you sing, play something in D.
How to play the D Major Chord on guitar
The D major chord is one of the easiest chords to play out there. Every beginner learns the D chord. In my experience, the 4 chords that you are taught first are the D, A, C, and E. These are what I teach my students, and most of them are able to get it right without much issue. The reason why this chord is so easy to play is almost entirely thanks to the standard tuning.
When your guitar is tuned to E-A-D-G-B-E, you only require 3 fingers to play this chord as the rest are open notes. Another advantage is that you use your main three fingers: Index, Middle, and Ring. These are our strongest fingers, so you do not have to struggle all that much.
Enough overview, here is how you play the D major chord:
HERE IS WHAT YOU DO IN D MAJOR CHORD:
CONCLUSION
The above is how you can play the simplest version, the open version, of the D major chord. There are many different ways of playing it, and each version has its own special touch. If you are at the level where you can play bar chords, give that a shot. D major chord is one of the easiest chords to play as it doesn’t have a complicated shape, neither does it require immense strength. Anyways, I hope this article helped you out. Thank you for reading!
Gibson is a blogger and reviewer, whose passion is helping people with all the aspects of music through the blog he provides. Also, he is an artist and loves to create his own tunes by purchasing good quality musical tools. With his own experience, he has provided a great list of tools for you in this blog. Seeking the best quality musical tools? Read this blog and end your music thirst!