D Minor Triad on the guitar fretboard

Notes and intervals

The D Minor Triad is built from these tones — each shown with its interval (in semitones) above the root:

• D · R
• F · 3
• A · 7

All positions on the neck

• 1st (high E) string · fret 1 · 3
• 1st (high E) string · fret 5 · 7
• 1st (high E) string · fret 10 · R
• 1st (high E) string · fret 13 · 3
• 1st (high E) string · fret 17 · 7
• 1st (high E) string · fret 22 · R
• 2nd (B) string · fret 3 · R
• 2nd (B) string · fret 6 · 3
• 2nd (B) string · fret 10 · 7
• 2nd (B) string · fret 15 · R
• 2nd (B) string · fret 18 · 3
• 2nd (B) string · fret 22 · 7
• 3rd (G) string · fret 2 · 7
• 3rd (G) string · fret 7 · R
• 3rd (G) string · fret 10 · 3
• 3rd (G) string · fret 14 · 7
• 3rd (G) string · fret 19 · R
• 3rd (G) string · fret 22 · 3
• 4th (D) string · open string (fret 0) · R
• 4th (D) string · fret 3 · 3
• 4th (D) string · fret 7 · 7
• 4th (D) string · fret 12 · R
• 4th (D) string · fret 15 · 3
• 4th (D) string · fret 19 · 7
• 5th (A) string · open string (fret 0) · 7
• 5th (A) string · fret 5 · R
• 5th (A) string · fret 8 · 3
• 5th (A) string · fret 12 · 7
• 5th (A) string · fret 17 · R
• 5th (A) string · fret 20 · 3
• 6th (low E) string · fret 1 · 3
• 6th (low E) string · fret 5 · 7
• 6th (low E) string · fret 10 · R
• 6th (low E) string · fret 13 · 3
• 6th (low E) string · fret 17 · 7
• 6th (low E) string · fret 22 · R

About the Minor Triad

A minor triad keeps the perfect fifth (7) but lowers the third to a minor third (3 semitones), giving the darker minor sound. The root, ♭3 and 5 of D minor recur across the fretboard and underpin minor chords and arpeggios.

Practice tips

Anchor every shape to its root — the gold R markers — and learn the distance to the other tones. The same shape transposes to any root by sliding it along the neck.

Open the interactive trainer and tap every D Minor Triad tone across all six strings until the shape is automatic.

Other shapes for D