BC-123 • The Dmin Chord

[justinguitar]

Questions...

Lesson Link: http://justinguitar.com/en/BC-123-Dm-chord.php

[licksnkicks]

I hate this chord!  I dont like the sound and it is hard to switch into... My problems are with EMaj/Em/Am -> Dm... will I ever use those transitions because I'm about to give up on them!

DON'T GIVE UP!!!  You have to practice them to get them.  I know how you feel.  I won't give up though!  I want to play excellently in due time.  You have to pay your dues though.  Keep trying and never say die!

Licksnkicks

[justinguitar]

It is all practice.

And even though Dm is not used as often as other chords - the finger movements and flexibility you learn while learning to play Dm come up all the time in other situations!

J

[Estel]

Just beginning this lesson. I find putting my fingers down in 3, 2, 1 order is easier; alternatively, 1, 3, 2.
Also, anchoring 1 & continually stretching 2 & 3 helps that 3rd finger to " venture out" a little further.
Any probs with those recommendations J?

[unnamedplayer]

OK, I'm not really sure where to post this but since it started with Dm I guess I'll post here.

Lately I have been noticing some discomfort just behind and right up to my first knuckle on my index finger when I bend it at that knuckle (like if I was making the shape for the Dm chord). I started noticing this when I started playing the Dm chord.

I have noticed in the morning it is a bit stiff and sore but if I kinda "pump" that finger a few times (like bend it at the knuckle making the shape it is in when fretting the Dm chord) it goes away.

I don't notice any pain while playing so I've just continued working on but like I said I do notice it in the mornings when I wake up.

I think I am a little young to be getting arthritis and I haven't been playing that long maybe 3-4 months.

Any one else encounter something similar? Am I doing something wrong with my finger positioning?

Thanks for any advice!

[Quark]

Am I doing something wrong with my finger positioning?

A couple of things. 1). How long are your practice sessions? Over exertion could be a possibility if you are practicing 4-5 hours a day as a relatively new player. 2). Have you ever done anything before where you would have used these particular movements;i.e. piano, hours of computer key board repetition etc? If not it may be just normal stiffness from joints doing work they have never done before. 3). Do you warm up before you practice? Do you do any of Justin's Stretching or strenghening exercises? Playing "cold" is a good way to get an injury. Using the stretching and strengthening exercises will help avoid that.

I am not a doctor, but the rule of thumb is if something hurts, then give it a little rest. If its just normal "growing pains" then they will dissipate and your fingers will get stronger. If the pain persists then it could be an injury and you should have it looked at by a qualified professional.
I suspect that you have gotten a little better over the last month or so and this has inspired you to play and practice more, giving your hand and fingers a little more of a work out, creating the stiffness you now feel.
I have been playing for years and I still develop stiffness when I practice something new, or play for extended periods of time.

W

[unnamedplayer]

Am I doing something wrong with my finger positioning?

A couple of things. 1). How long are your practice sessions? Over exertion could be a possibility if you are practicing 4-5 hours a day as a relatively new player. 2). Have you ever done anything before where you would have used these particular movements;i.e. piano, hours of computer key board repetition etc? If not it may be just normal stiffness from joints doing work they have never done before. 3). Do you warm up before you practice? Do you do any of Justin's Stretching or strenghening exercises? Playing "cold" is a good way to get an injury. Using the stretching and strengthening exercises will help avoid that.

I am not a doctor, but the rule of thumb is if something hurts, then give it a little rest. If its just normal "growing pains" then they will dissipate and your fingers will get stronger. If the pain persists then it could be an injury and you should have it looked at by a qualified professional.
I suspect that you have gotten a little better over the last month or so and this has inspired you to play and practice more, giving your hand and fingers a little more of a work out, creating the stiffness you now feel.
I have been playing for years and I still develop stiffness when I practice something new, or play for extended periods of time.

W

Thanks for the reply. I don't think I practice 4-5 hours a day. Maybe 1-2 tops but I usually break it up (ie play for 15-20, take a break, go back to it etc.)

Never played any other instrument. I do spend hours on the computer playing games, but never noticed any discomfort from that (and still don't).

I guess I don't really warm up. I usually start by just practicing chords, ie strum/pickout/strum for a 5-10 minutes or so then go on to 1-minute changes or practice strumming with a metronome. I've just got to the part of the basic finger workout so I will start doing that on a daily basis.

I think I'll take a break for a few days and see how it feels (even though its so tough not to pick up!!).

Thanks!

[Estel]

Hey Guys,
So I did post reply No.7 about placing fingers in 3 2 1 order (as opposed to 1 2 3 order). Works fine for me especially with the 1 minute changes.
Would like to be sure that this is OK 'cause I don't want to practice "bad habits".
Any thoughts?
Estel.

[bluepingu34]

Ok, I'm getting a little better at it.  Starting to like the sound of the chord.

Here's a different kind of question... What chord sounds "lower" than Dm but can resolve to Am or Asus2?  Trying to put it in my song and I'm not good enough to tell yet, haha

Maybe you could try E7...

[CaptainAmatuer]

I don't know if I'm posting this question in the right place because I'm new to forums.

The question deals with the Dmin chord at the moment, but it could apply to chords I might play in the future.

I've been working at this for quite some time, and the only way I can play the Dmin chord with no muted strings is by pressing on the high E string with the fingernail of my index finger.  I'm pretty sure that this is not the correct technique. 

I've also noticed that many of those who play guitar seem to have an entirely different fingernail structure than I do.  Their fingernails seem to end about halfway down the finger, leaving a nice "fingerpad" from which it appears to be simpler to play difficult chords.  My fingernails (even when trimmed to the point of pain) leave no such pad.  When sufficient pressure is applied to the strings, this area will give way immediately, allowing for the fingernails to bear the pressure. 

I can't imagine that this would be good technique.  I don't know how to fix this.  Should I just acknowledge that I don't have the genetic makeup necessary to play guitar and give up.  It's all very distressing to me, because I really would like to learn how to play.

Please provide some solution, if possible.
Thank you for reading my question.

[chix]

hi

first an apolagy  i dont have the solution, but  were thers  will thers  away  an wile this  might  seem like  big  hurdle ther  are plenty more  to come, if we all gave up at  the  first  bit of pain or  dificuty know one  would play. ther lots  good people on here who can shure  give  advice  better than ican an more experiacned, hey what do i know im only in the relativy begings  myself ish..  but   ther  are  ways round  things..

but one bit of  encoragment  dont  give up   you can do it 

[aging_bimbo]

I had a similar issue when I first started, but I've found that with constant trimming the ends of my fingernails seem to have moved down the fingers (although this may be a delusion; it might just be the extra callous that makes it seem that way), which combined with a build-up of callous means there's a bit more "pad" than there was. So keep trimming and keep building callous!

[PJMCM]

I don't know if I'm posting this question in the right place because I'm new to forums.

The question deals with the Dmin chord at the moment, but it could apply to chords I might play in the future.

I've been working at this for quite some time, and the only way I can play the Dmin chord with no muted strings is by pressing on the high E string with the fingernail of my index finger.  I'm pretty sure that this is not the correct technique. 

I've also noticed that many of those who play guitar seem to have an entirely different fingernail structure than I do.  Their fingernails seem to end about halfway down the finger, leaving a nice "fingerpad" from which it appears to be simpler to play difficult chords.  My fingernails (even when trimmed to the point of pain) leave no such pad.  When sufficient pressure is applied to the strings, this area will give way immediately, allowing for the fingernails to bear the pressure. 

I can't imagine that this would be good technique.  I don't know how to fix this.  Should I just acknowledge that I don't have the genetic makeup necessary to play guitar and give up.  It's all very distressing to me, because I really would like to learn how to play.

Please provide some solution, if possible.
Thank you for reading my question.

As Tourni & Irish said, it's difficult to tell without pics, but it sounds to me like there could be a couple of reasons for this.

Finger stretching. One of the main reasons for bad finger placement when learning is that your fingers don't spread out enough when playing chords. Dm covers three frets, and that can be a bit of a stretch when you're not used to it. Justin has a lesson on finger stretching - go check it out!

Soft fingertips. The "nice fingerpad" you refer to is something that no-one usually has to start with. This will build up over time with continuous playing as you build calluses on your fingertips.

Good news is that both problems should fade with time and practise, so stick with it.

Practise, Perseverance and Patience! That's all you need!

Peter

[Harper0]

Is this good?

It sounds nice, I still need a little help from my right hand though. My 2nd and 3rd fingers love each other too much to be separated lol

[flyhead]

You do need to work on stretching/finger independence, but if you angle your fingers sloping more towards your chin (i.e. move your hand a little closer to you) the fingertips of your 2nd and 3rd fingers will be closer to the fretwires and reduce the amount of pressure you need to exert (which is next to nothing when placed correctly. Your first finger's outer carpel can be just about flat (as it would be if playing a two-string mini-barred F chord. Don't overdo it, though.

[PJMCM]

As Flyhead says, your hand and fingers should be angled slightly. Perhaps a picture would better than words.......should be something like this:



Get into those finger stretching exercises!!!

Peter

[MikeCraig]

I have a question about what it is supposed to sound like.  My Dmin is I think pretty good.  I'm hitting the right strings and not muting anything.  Similarly, my D chord is pretty good (it should be as it's easy).  However is the Dmin supposed to sound almost identical to the D chord?  Mine does; I can hear a slight difference but whereas I am beginning to identify chords by sound I don't think I could tell which of these is which.  FYI, my guitar is in tune.

Thanks.

[Bootstrap]

Hi Mike - it will sound similar as it shares 2 notes with the D chord and the other note is just a half step lower.

D major = D F# A
D minor = D F A

The difference between a major and a minor chord is always just that half step.

To characterize the difference a major chord should sound "bright" and a minor chord will have a "sadder" sound.

As your ear gets more tuned in you will more easily identify the difference.

Good luck.

[MikeCraig]

Thanks for the advice. 

I figured it out just recently.  I was reviewing old lessons (like really old) and was watching Justin's video on finger placement.  And one of the things he mentioned was that you could actually change the tune of the thinner strings by having your fingers too far back from the fret (i.e., pushing too hard and tightening the string).  Ah Ha! Move fingers on Dmin closer to the fret and suddenly it sounds way different than a D chord (and better by the by).

So basically I was unintentionally bending the strings and messing up my chord (so my old ears weren't at fault).

[fmaj7]

Hello

I think its a good idea to be able to play both fingersets 124 and 123 for dm-chord. Cause 124  lets free the 3. finger to play nice bass progression starting with the C on A-string (Dm7-chord) Dm/C

[Lester Blackstone]

Hi All.

I'm up to Stage 4, but I'm still struggling with changing to Dm.  I'm having a heck of a time changing to it, so I've been tacking it onto my chord practice / 1-min changes every day.  Other than A and Am (from lesson 2), are there any other chords that I should be pairing with it? Also, can someone suggest some easy songs and/or chord progressions that incorporate this chord?

[jacksroadhouse]

The Dmin is a bit of an odd duck in the beginning. When I practised stuff like that, I just randomly changed to and from other chords I knew. That gets your fingers used to the idea to find their way no matter where you come from. Just do it slowly - the Dmin needs a but more accuracy than many other chords.

I'm wrecking my brain for a beginner song using Dmin, but I can't remember one right now. All the Dmin songs I know are kind of advanced. But there are bound to be some. Have you checked Justin's songbook?

[shadowscott007]

I like Jack don't know any songs with Dm off the top of my head.  But for chords in no particular order (I am such a liar) C, Em, F, G, and Am come to mind.

Like a Rolling stone uses Dm now that I think about it.  I am sure I know more they just don't come to mind.

Shadow

[Chantal]

A Girl Like You uses the minor chords. Justin uploaded a video lesson on that recently. And there are others in the Beginners Songbook too

[TB-AV]

are there any other chords that I should be pairing with it?

C Dm G7 C     round and round she goes, where she stops, nobody knows

C Dm G7 C Dm G7 C Dm G7 C Am Em Am Em Em7 Dm G7 C        rinse and repeat

Dm Asus2 F E7sus4(strings a and g fret 2 others open) A Dm A Dm A Dm A     and so on.