Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the E string (2nd).
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the C string (3rd).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (1st).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 2 | middle | A4 | fifth |
| 3rd (C) | fret 2 | ring | D4 | root |
| 2nd (E) | fret 1 | index | F4 | minor third |
| 1st (A) | fret 3 | little | C5 | flat seventh |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Dm7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 5555A barre at the 5th fret
- 7988A shape at the 7th fret · four fingers
- 10-0-10-0A shape at the 10th fret · two fingers
Holding it cleanly
Press just behind each fret, not on top of it and not in the middle of the gap: that is where the least pressure gives a clean note.
The notes in Dm7
A minor seventh chord is built from the root (1), ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of its root’s major scale. From D that gives D – F – A – C. A minor chord with a flattened seventh: mellow rather than sad, and the usual ii chord of a major key.
The same root, other chords: D major, Dm, D7, Dmaj7, Dsus2, Dsus4, Ddim, Daug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Dm7 chord?
D minor seventh is four notes: D – F – A – C — the root, ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of the D major scale. On ukulele the shape 2213 sounds A4, D4, F4 and C5, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Dm7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 2213 — a shape at the 1st fret, with four fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Dm7 and Dm?
Dm7 is Dm with one more note, a flattened seventh (C). It can nearly always stand in for Dm and sounds a little warmer and less final.