Which strings do I strum for D minor seven?

4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.

What notes are in a D minor seven chord?

D, F, A, C. The D is the root, the note the chord is named after. The F makes it minor.

What chords go with Dm7?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, Gm and Am, and its relative major, F. Songs move between these because they share notes.

minor seventh chord

D minor seven chord on guitar

D minor with a small two-string barre. Gentle, a little jazzy, and a first taste of barring.

Loading the guitar…

Where the fingers go

1
middle finger, G string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
2
index finger, B string, fret 1
Count from the thick string: E A D G B.
3
index finger, thin e string, fret 1
The thinnest string, nearest the floor.
4
Leave the D string open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
5
Strum 4 strings, from the D string down
Skip the thick E and A. They would add a note that does not belong.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in Dm7

A chord is three or four notes played together. D minor seven is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
D	root	D string, open
F	minor third	thin e string, fret 1
A	fifth	G string, fret 2
C	flat seventh	B string, fret 1

The root, D, is the note it is named after. The second note decides the mood: a major third sounds bright, a minor third sounds sad. This chord sounds soft and mellow.

Where it sits on the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.

Gm and Am are Dm7’s neighbours. Most songs in Dm7 use one or both.
F is its relative major: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

The barre presses too hard

The index finger covers only the two thin strings at fret 1. Light pressure is enough; the other finger does the work.

Tip

Start from Dm

Hold D minor, then flatten the index finger so it covers the B string too and lift the ring finger.

Songs that use it

The chord before G7 in songs in C. Very common in bossa nova and jazz standards.

None of the songs on the site use Dm7 yet. It is coming with the next batch.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for D minor seven?: 4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.
What notes are in a D minor seven chord?: D, F, A, C. The D is the root, the note the chord is named after. The F makes it minor.
What chords go with Dm7?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, Gm and Am, and its relative major, F. Songs move between these because they share notes.