Dm7 Chord

The Dm7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note D. Its notes are D, F, A and C.

Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.

Root

Quality

Dm7 on piano

Inversion:

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To play Dm7 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on D, middle finger on F, and little finger on A. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Dm7 on guitar

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Beginner

Open

On guitar, Dm7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they don't mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Dm7

D · F · A · C

Dm7 chord notes

Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7Notes: D · F · A · C

Degree	Interval	Semitones	Note
1	Root	0	D
♭3	Minor third	3	F
5	Perfect fifth	7	A
♭7	Minor seventh	10	C

How to use the Dm7 chord

The Dm7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Starting from the root D, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: D, F, A and C. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Minor seventh chords are foundational in jazz, funk, neo-soul and R&B. They're typically the iim7, iiim7 or vim7 chord of a major key and the i7 of a minor key.

Famous Songs in Dm7

These well-known tracks all feature the Dm7 chord - a great way to put it in musical context.

1
So What
Miles Davis
2
Watermelon Man
Herbie Hancock
3
Breezin
George Benson
4
Killing Me Softly
Roberta Flack
5
What You Wont Do for Love
Bobby Caldwell

Common progressions

The Dm7 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Emotional progression

vi → IV → I → V

F C E°A♯

Natural minor progression

i → VI → III → VII

Dm A♯F C

Minor blues

i → iv → v → i

Dm Gm Am Dm

Once you are comfortable with Dm7, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Dm7 and are a natural next step in your practice.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Dm7 chord?

The Dm7 chord contains D, F, A and C.

Is the Dm7 chord major or minor?

Dm7 is a minor seventh chord. Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.

How do you play Dm7 on piano?

Place your fingers on D, F, A and C and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.

How do you play Dm7 on guitar?

Dm7 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.

What chords work well with Dm7?

Dm7 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Dm7 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chords Explore scales Explore progressions Chord Transposer Chord Finder Try the Piano Open Circle of Fifths