CAGED
The D shape takes the open D major chord and moves it up the neck. It only uses the top four strings, so it sounds small and bright, and it is a good partner for the fuller E and A shapes. There is no big barre to hold. Diagrams follow the left- or right-handed setting at the top of the page.
This is one of five CAGED shapes. See how they fit together on the CAGED system page.
The open shape and the movable shape
Left: the open D major chord. Right: the same shape moved up ten frets to play C major.
- Root note, the note the chord is named after
- Other chord notes
- Barre: one finger across several strings
- × means do not play that string, ○ means play it open
Drawn for left-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is on the right.Drawn for right-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is on the left. The row of numbers at the bottom is the suggested finger: 1 is your index finger, 2 your middle finger, 3 your ring finger and 4 your pinky.
How to play it
Barre type: No index barre. The ring finger makes a mini barre across the top strings.
- Use your index finger (1) on the D string at the root fret.
- Lay your ring finger (3) across the G and high e strings, two frets above the root. Let it rest lightly across the B string too.
- Use your pinky (4) on the B string, three frets above the root. This note sits one fret higher than your ring finger, so the B string sounds at the pinky.
- Play the top four strings only (D, G, B and high e). Do not play the low E and A strings.
Here is each note in the movable shape, shown for C major.
| String | Fret | Note | Role | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 10 | C | Root | 1 |
| G | 12 | G | 5th | 3 |
| B | 13 | C | Root | 4 |
| high e | 12 | E | 3rd | 3 |
Find the root note
The root of the D shape is on the D string. In C major the root, C, appears on the D string (fret 10) and the B string (fret 13). Find the chord you want on the D string, and that fret is where the shape goes.
Find it in every key
This chart shows the D shape for all 12 major chords. Fret numbers are listed from the low E string to the high e string, and x means do not play that string. Where the shape cannot fit below the nut, the chart gives the next place up the neck.
| Chord (major) | Root fret on the D string | Frets, low E to high e |
|---|---|---|
| C | 10 | x-x-10-12-13-12 |
| C♯/D♭ | 11 | x-x-11-13-14-13 |
| D | Open | x-x-0-2-3-2 (or at fret 12: x-x-12-14-15-14) |
| D♯/E♭ | 1 | x-x-1-3-4-3 |
| E | 2 | x-x-2-4-5-4 |
| F | 3 | x-x-3-5-6-5 |
| F♯/G♭ | 4 | x-x-4-6-7-6 |
| G | 5 | x-x-5-7-8-7 |
| G♯/A♭ | 6 | x-x-6-8-9-8 |
| A | 7 | x-x-7-9-10-9 |
| A♯/B♭ | 8 | x-x-8-10-11-10 |
| B | 9 | x-x-9-11-12-11 |
Minor and other chords
For minor, move only the high e string note down one fret. Use your index finger on the D string, ring finger on the G string, pinky on the B string and middle finger on the high e string. G minor at the 5th fret is x-x-5-7-8-6. This is the D minor shape.
Tips and common problems
- Practice the open D chord first, then move it up the neck one fret at a time.
- Strum only the top four strings. Aim for the D string and let the lower strings stay silent.
- You can also use fingers 1-2-4-3 on the D, G, B and high e strings if the flat ring finger feels awkward.
- This shape works well high on the neck where the frets are close together and the chord sounds bright.
Where this shape sits in CAGED
In C major the D shape sits at frets 10–13. As you move up the neck the shapes follow the order C, A, G, E, D and then C again, so it comes after the E shape and before the C shape. In C major it lines up with Pattern 2 on the C major scale page, so you can find the scale notes around the chord.
Other shapes: C shape · A shape · G shape · E shape · D shape
Practice ideas
- Slide the shape up one fret at a time and say the chord name at each fret. Use the chart above to check.
- Play the open shape, then the movable shape in C, four strums each. Listen for how the same chord sounds in a different place.
- Switch between this shape and the C shape, which comes next in the CAGED order. Keep the chord the same and just change position.
- Go slowly. Start at 60 bpm and keep the chord changes clean before you speed up.