D#m guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The thumb plays D# on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios
Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.
D#m is built from D#, F# and A#. D# is the root, F# the minor third and A# the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are D sharp, F sharp and A sharp.
String by string, low to high, it plays D#, A#, D#, F# and A#. Of the five strings you play, two give D#, the note that names the chord. It runs from D# on string 5 up to A# on string 1.
The main D#m shape needs a barre at fret 6 across five strings. Avoid string 6. Your hand covers three frets, from 6 to 8. There is one more position, starting at fret 1.
Change only string 2 in D#m and you have D#. D#m and F# have F# and A# in common. Abm shares one position with this shape. Ebm is the same chord under another name.
D#m belongs to five keys. In F# major it is the vi, in C# major the ii and in B major the iii. The rest appear in the key list. Further down there is a song that uses it.
D# 1F# ♭3A# 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 6 (D#)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 6. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 8, 3rd String (G) at fret 8, 2nd String (B) at fret 7. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 1 with your Index finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 3 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 2 with your Middle finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 6 to 8 |
| Barre | fret 6, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 6, only the barre sounds the 5th and 1st strings.
Listen: D#m → Ebm · Abm · Ab
D#m sits in the scale of 5 keys.
Well-known songs where this chord plays a clear role
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the D#m chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the D#m chord is its root note: D#. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 6.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The D#m chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 formula (Minor Triad). Its constituent pitches are D#, F#, A#.
To prevent fret buzz on the D#m barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
"Take Five" (The Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1959). The base of the two-chord vamp (Ebm - Bbm7).
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