To play Dm on the ukulele, you need the notes D, F, A. Its first ukulele voicing is the open position: G string at fret 2 (middle finger); C string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 1 (index finger); A string open. This guide covers the minor chord in full: what is in it, how to play it cleanly on the ukulele, where it fits musically and how to practise it.
What notes are in the Dm chord?
The Dm chord is a minor chord, and its notes are fixed: D, F, A. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root D, so you can see the structure of Dm at a glance. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| D | Root |
| F | b3 |
| A | 5 |
The root is D, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in Dm are b3, 5. Once you know the intervals, you can build Dm from any root by counting the same semitone steps, which is how the chord works in every key. On the ukulele, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
Dm sounds gentle and introspective, with the flattened 3rd pulling the mood down without losing warmth. That character comes straight from the intervals above, not from the instrument: the same notes on piano, guitar or ukulele carry the same colour, even though the voicing changes. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes D, F, A in Dm.
Comparing Dm with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, minor against major: the 3rd is F instead of F#, one semitone lower, and that single change turns a bright chord dark. Hearing the comparison matters more than reading it: play Dm, then play the chord it is compared with above, and let your ear find the note that changed. On the ukulele, the open position of Dm puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
How to play Dm on ukulele
On the ukulele, Dm has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — D, F, A — in a different place on the neck. There are 3 voicings listed for Dm on the ukulele; learn the first, then add the others as you need them. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
The open position puts Dm in open position: G string at fret 2 (middle finger); C string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 1 (index finger); A string open. This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 1 to fret 2, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Dm — D, F, A — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The open position is the voicing to learn if you want Dm in open position: G string muted; C string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 1 (index finger); A string open. The challenge here is the muted string: 1 string is marked x, and it needs to stay silent. Let the edge of a fretting finger rest lightly on it — muting by touch, not by pressing. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Dm — D, F, A — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The barre chord puts Dm in around fret 5: G string at fret 7 (middle finger); C string at fret 5 (index finger); E string at fret 5 (index finger); A string open. It barres across strings 2 to 3 at fret 5 with the index finger. The barre is the hard part: the index finger must press every string from 2 to 3 evenly at fret 5, so roll it slightly onto its bony side and keep it close to the fret wire. If the barre buzzes, move it a fraction closer to the fret and press from the arm, not the thumb alone. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Dm — D, F, A — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of Dm is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide Dm up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of Dm that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into Dm from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
A short practice routine for Dm on the ukulele: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above D and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Ukulele Chord Finder to see the diagram for Dm while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make Dm sound wrong on the ukulele, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Confusing it with the relative major. D minor shares its notes with F major, but its home note is D, not the major tonic. Practise resolving to D so your ear hears it as the tonic. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
Over-gripping the shape. Minor shapes often need a stretch or a barre. Pressing too hard tenses the hand and kills sustain; use the minimum pressure that gives a clean note. On the ukulele, the open position of Dm puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Pressing too hard on the nylon strings. Ukulele strings need far less pressure than guitar strings, and pressing hard on Dm pulls the notes sharp and tires the hand. Use the lightest touch that gives a clean note, and keep your fingers close to the frets. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
Playing a major 3rd by mistake. If the 3rd comes out as F# instead of F, the chord flips to major. Check the note on the string that carries the 3rd and flatten it by one fret or one key. On the ukulele, the open position of Dm puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Where Dm is used
As a diatonic chord, Dm belongs to the key of C major, the key of F major, the key of A# major, the key of D minor. In those keys it is one of the seven chords built from the key's own notes, so it fits without any chromatic notes. the tonic of its minor key and the vi chord of its relative major — one of the most used chords in popular music. That is the practical meaning of belonging to a key: the chord sounds settled there, and the other chords of the key lead to it and away from it naturally. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
You will meet Dm in progressions such as I–V–vi–IV in F major, I–vi–IV–V in F major, ii–V–I in C major. Try playing one of those progressions slowly and listening to how Dm behaves in context — whether it sounds like home, like a lift, or like a chord pulling toward the next one. That context is the fastest way to learn what Dm is for, because a chord on its own tells you its notes, but a chord in a progression tells you its job. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes D, F, A in Dm.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in Dm on guitar, Dm on piano, Dm on bass, and the scales that fit over it are the D major scale and the D minor pentatonic scale. Learning Dm on the ukulele and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — D, F, A — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising Dm
A short worked example makes Dm concrete. Play the four-chord progression C – G – Am – F in C major, where Dm is diatonic: C – G – Am – F. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how Dm sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on Dm itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
For a second exercise, play Dm and then the chord a fourth above D, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move Dm is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing Dm on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: D, F, A. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Dm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the relative major of D minor?
The relative major of D minor is F major. The two keys share the same notes, so D minor is the vi chord in F major and the i chord in D minor. On the ukulele, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.
How do you play Dm on the ukulele?
The first voicing is the open position: frets 2–2–1–0, fingers 2–2–1–0, on the ukulele. That voicing uses the notes D, F, A, and it is the one to learn first. The page above lists more voicings for Dm, so you can choose the shape nearest the chords around it.
Is Dm hard to play on the ukulele?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of Dm on the ukulele is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.
What is the easiest voicing of Dm on the ukulele?
The open position is the easiest voicing listed for Dm on the ukulele: frets 2–2–1–0, fingers 2–2–1–0. Learn that shape first, get every note ringing cleanly, and only then move on to the alternative voicings further up the neck.
Is D minor a sad chord?
It often sounds sadder than the major chord because its 3rd is F, a minor 3rd above D. That darker colour is why songwriters use it for reflective verses, but in context it can also sound calm, warm or determined. On the ukulele, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.