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One flat — B♭

Chords in the Key of D Minor

Darker and more introspective — the first minor key here.

The Tonic
Tonic
Dm
i · Tonic
1
The Other Six Diatonic Chords
ii°2
Edim
Supertonic
III3
F
Mediant
iv4
Gm
Subdominant
v5
Am
Dominant
VI6
Bb
Submediant
VII7
C
Subtonic
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Load the key of D Minor onto the fretboard.

See how all seven chords sit together, and hear what makes each degree do its job.

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Questions about the key of D Minor

What are the 7 chords in the key of D Minor?

The key of D Minor contains Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, Bb, C. In Roman numerals that's i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII — the tonic (Dm) is home, and the dominant (Am) creates the tension that resolves back to it.

What makes a minor key sound sad?

The third degree of the scale is flattened — a half-step lower than in a major key. That single note is what your ear reads as melancholy, and it's why the tonic chord is Dm rather than D. Everything else about the key's machinery works exactly as it does in a major key.

Related keys

C MajorKeyG MajorKey