Dm7 chord on piano
Dm7 is D, F, A and C. You'll find D between the two black keys (a white key). Hit Play and watch each key light as it sounds.
root position · D–F–A–C · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- D · F · A · C
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
How to play Dm7 on piano
Start on D, count 3 half steps up to F, 4 half steps up to A then 3 half steps up to C. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on D, 2 on F, 3 on A and 5 on C.
- Left hand: 5 on D, 3 on F, 2 on A and 1 on C.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Em7 and Am7, so your hand shape carries over.
Dm7 inversions
- root position: D–F–A–C. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: F–A–C–D, F lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: A–C–D–F (A in the bass). RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: C–D–F–A, with C at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Changing from Dm7 to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold Dm7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- G7 (V in C major): Dm7 to G7: play G7 in 2nd inversion (D–F–G–B) and D and F stay under the same fingers, while A moves down to G and C down to B. G7 on piano
- Fmaj7 (IV in C major): Dm7 to Fmaj7: play Fmaj7 in 3rd inversion (E–F–A–C) and F, A and C stay under the same fingers, while D moves up to E. Fmaj7 on piano
- Cmaj7 (I in C major): Dm7 to Cmaj7: play Cmaj7 in 1st inversion (E–G–B–C) and C stays under the same finger, while D moves up to E, F up to G and A up to B. Cmaj7 on piano
Dm7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. Dm7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Practice Dm7 in two minutes
Roll the chord up and back down, D, F, A, C, A, F, D, before playing it as a block. Finish with the inversions in order: D–F–A–C; F–A–C–D; A–C–D–F; C–D–F–A.
The keys of Dm7
Dm7 is a minor seventh chord, 1–♭3–5–♭7 from D. Root position, from the bottom: how Dm7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| F | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| A | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| C | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Where Dm7 shows up
In C major, ii–V–I on piano is Dm7 (D–F–A–C), G7 (G–B–D–F) and Cmaj7 (C–E–G–B). About the jazz cadence.
Dm7 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Dm7 on guitar and Dm7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Close to Dm7
Other minor seventh chords
Dm7 on piano: questions
What notes are in Dm7 on piano?
D, F, A and C: D (white key), F (white key), A (white key) and C (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Dm7 on piano?
Press D, F, A and C together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on D, 2 on F, 3 on A and 5 on C.
What are the inversions of Dm7?
1st inversion (F–A–C–D), 2nd inversion (A–C–D–F) and 3rd inversion (C–D–F–A), after root position (D–F–A–C). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Dm7 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Em7 and Am7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only D, F, A and C, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.