D/F# reads "D over F sharp", and it is less exotic than it looks. It is a plain D major chord with F#, one of its own notes, moved to the bottom. Nothing new to learn about harmony: the point is the bass line. Put D/F# between G and Em and the bass walks down one step at a time instead of jumping, which is the sound of a great many songs. This page gives four ways to play it, two with the thumb and two without, and shows where it goes.
D/F# chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: D over F sharp
- Symbol: D/F#
- Notes: D, F#, A
- Bass note: F#, the lowest note you play
- Where it belongs: I in D major, V in G major, IV in A major, VII in E minor, VI in F# minor, V in G minor, III in B minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| D/F#, four strings | xx4232 | F# A D F# | No thumb needed: F# on the fourth string carries the bass. The easiest way to get the sound. |
| D/F#, thumb over | 2x0232 | F# D A D F# | Open D with the thumb wrapped over the neck onto the low E, fret 2. The fifth string stays silent. |
| D/F#, full | 200232 | F# A D A D F# | The same thumb shape with the open A ringing too. A belongs to D major, so nothing clashes. |
| D/F#, seventh fret | x9777x | F# A D F# | Up the neck, F# on the fifth string. For songs that already sit around the seventh fret. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
D/F# on the neck: every D, F#, A
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of D/F#: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still D/F#.
What the slash means
In a slash chord, the letter before the slash is the chord and the letter after it is the bass note. D major is built from D, F# and A. In an ordinary D chord the lowest note is D, the root. In D/F#, the lowest note is F#, the third. The notes are the same, so the chord keeps its name; it just stands on a different foot. That is what musicians call the first inversion.
The practical rule that follows: whatever you play above it, the lowest string that sounds has to be F#. Two places on the neck give it within easy reach in open position: the sixth string at fret 2 and the fourth string at fret 4. Each one leads to its own family of shapes. To see where every F# lives, the fretboard notes page lights them all up.
How to play D/F#, step by step
With the thumb: 2x0232
Start from an open D chord: first finger on the G string at fret 2, third finger on the B string at fret 3, second finger on the high E at fret 2. Now let the neck sit deeper in the palm and wrap the thumb over the top, so its pad presses the low E string at fret 2. That is your F#. The same thumb lightly touches the fifth string and keeps it quiet.
If the open A rings anyway, nothing goes wrong: A is part of D major, and you are simply playing the full version, 200232. What must never ring is the open low E. E is not in the chord, and it is the note you hear when the thumb has not pressed hard enough.
Without the thumb: xx4232
Fourth finger on the D string at fret 4, first finger on the G string at fret 2, third finger on the B string at fret 3, second finger on the high E at fret 2. Strum the top four strings only. F# is now on the fourth string, so the bass is still right.
The bass walks D/F# was made for
D/F# almost always sits between two chords whose bass notes are a step away from F#: G above, E or E minor below. These are the moves you will meet most.
| Progression | Shapes | Bass line |
|---|---|---|
| G, D/F#, Em, C | 320003, 2x0232, 022000, x32010 | G, F#, E, then C. The classic walkdown in the key of G. |
| D, D/F#, G | xx0232, 2x0232, 320003 | D, F#, G. The bass climbs into the G chord instead of jumping to it. |
| Em, D/F#, G | 022000, 2x0232, 320003 | E, F#, G. The same idea going up. |
In the key of G, D/F# is the V chord with its third in the bass. In the key of D it is the I chord, moving toward IV. Either way its job is the same: lead the ear to the next bass note. That is why D/F# almost never lasts long. One or two beats, and it is gone. More moves like these are on the chord progressions page.
Where to hear D/F#
The best known example is the intro of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven: Am, Am/G#, C/G, D/F#, F. The bass slides down one half step at a time, A, G#, G, F#, F, and D/F# is the F# step. Foo Fighters' The Pretender also uses D/F# in a sequence built around A minor. In both, listen to the lowest note rather than the chord: that is where D/F# does its work.
D/F# often shares a song with B minor, since both live in the keys of D and G. The B minor chord page builds that one in layers, the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What does D/F# mean?
How do you play D/F# on guitar?
Can I play D/F# without using my thumb?
Is D/F# the same as F# minor?
Why play D/F# instead of plain D?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.