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Having fun with D/F#
Lesson # •
Having fun with D/F#
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How to play D/F#
When learning songs on guitar, it’s very common to come across the D/F# chord – which we’d say out loud as “D over F sharp”. The main idea is to take a typical D-major chord, and play an F# as the bass-most note within the chord (replacing the “D” we would typically have as the bass note). The most common ways to play this chord is shown below, next to a regular D-major chord for the sake of comparison.
E ––––2––––– E ––––2––––– E ––––2–––––
B ––––3––––– B ––––3––––– B ––––3–––––
G ––––2––––– G ––––2––––– G ––––2–––––
D ––––0––––– D ––––0––––– or D ––––4–––––
A –––––––––– A ––––0––––– A ––––––––––
E –––––––––– E ––––2––––– E ––––––––––
D D/F# D/F#
Wait, why would you ever use this chord?
Great question! And it’s very important to understand the role this chord plays –– because this will help you take the approach to playing it that is most appropriate for the use case in front of you. Typically, this chord is used as a transitional step between either an E-minor or a G-major… and quite often, the D/F# is used as a stepping stone between an E-minor and a G-major. The effect of these chords in combination is that of a descending (or ascending) bass line, running as a thread between these chords.
Examples of the D/F# in actual use
The most common scenario may be going from a G down to a D/F# down to an E-minor. When playing these, notice the descending bass note:
Walking down: Walking up:
E ––––3–––––2–––––0–––– E ––––0–––––2–––––3––––
B ––––0–––––3–––––0–––– B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0–––– G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2–––– D ––––2–––––0–––––0––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2–––– A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––
E ––––3–––––2–––––0–––– E ––––0–––––2–––––3––––
G D/F# Em Em D/F# G
If these
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––––––––2––––
E ––––3–––––––––––0––––
G D Em
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
G D/F# Em
E –––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––––––––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
G D/F# Em
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––3–––––3–––––3–––––3––––– <== left ring finger stays here,
G ––––0–––––2–––––0–––––0––––– on 3rd fret, for all chords!
D ––––2–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2–––––3–––––
E ––––0–––––2–––––3–––––––––––
Em7 D/F# G Cadd9
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––3–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––4–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––5–––––4–––––2––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––
G D/F# Em
E ––––7–––––5–––––3––––
B ––––8–––––7–––––5––––
G ––––7–––––7–––––4––––
D –––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––
G D/F# Em
I hope all this was helpful
Please let me know what other chords you’d like to see lessons made for! In the meantime, best of luck with your playing.
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