D major chord on piano (D)
D is D, F♯ and A. D is the white key between the two black keys. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · D–F♯–A · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
How to play D on piano
Start on D, count 4 half steps up to F♯ then 3 half steps up to A. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on D, 3 on F♯ and 5 on A.
- Left hand: 5 on D, 3 on F♯ and 1 on A.
- On the keyboard it's white, black and white keys, the same pattern as E and A, so your hand shape carries over.
D inversions
- root position: D–F♯–A. RH 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: F♯–A–D, with F♯ at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: A–D–F♯ (A in the bass). Fingers 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let D sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Moving between D and its neighbours
The chords D usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- G (IV in D major): D to G: play G in 2nd inversion (D–G–B) and D stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to G and A up to B. G on piano
- A (V in D major): D to A: play A in 1st inversion (C♯–E–A) and A stays under the same finger, while D moves down to C♯ and F♯ down to E. A on piano
- Bm (vi in D major): D to Bm: play Bm in 1st inversion (D–F♯–B) and D and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while A moves up to B. Bm on piano
A major chord sounds finished and open. Major chords are the backbone of most songs; D is home in D major and a common IV or V in the keys around it. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short D drill
Play D broken, one key at a time: D, F♯, A, F♯, D. Then press the keys together and check that all 3 sound at the same volume. Finish with the inversions in order: D–F♯–A; F♯–A–D; A–D–F♯.
The keys of D
D is a major chord, 1–3–5 from D. Root position, from the bottom: how D is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| F♯ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | major third |
| A | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Keys and progressions with D
In D major, I–V–vi–IV on piano is D (D–F♯–A), A (A–C♯–E), Bm (B–D–F♯) and G (G–B–D). About the pop progression.
In D major, I–IV–V on piano is D (D–F♯–A), G (G–B–D) and A (A–C♯–E). About the three-chord progression.
In D major, I–vi–IV–V on piano is D (D–F♯–A), Bm (B–D–F♯), G (G–B–D) and A (A–C♯–E). About the 50s progression.
D on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try D on ukulele or D on guitar, or compare them on the D chord page.
Related D chords on piano
Other major chords
D on piano: questions
What notes are in D on piano?
D, F♯ and A: D (white key), F♯ (black key) and A (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play D on piano?
Press D, F♯ and A together (1 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on D, 3 on F♯ and 5 on A.
What are the inversions of D?
1st inversion (F♯–A–D) and 2nd inversion (A–D–F♯), after root position (D–F♯–A). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does D look like on the keyboard?
white, black and white keys, the same pattern as E and A, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside D. Updated September 2026.