Open D Guitar Chords: D A D F# A D

Open D guitar tuning changes the guitar from standard tuning to D A D F# A D from low to high. When you strum the open strings, you hear a D major chord. This tuning is useful for blues, slide guitar, fingerstyle, folk guitar, Celtic guitar, and full-sounding movable chord shapes.

This lesson focuses on major chords in Open D tuning, especially the primary chords in the key of D: D, G, and A. You’ll learn how to tune to Open D, play common major chord shapes, move those shapes around the neck, and use them in chord progressions.

Start here:

• Need the basic chord shapes? Start with the D, G, and A major chords below.
• Want Open D blues riffs and solos? See 101 Blues Riffs and Solos in Open D Guitar Tuning.
• Comparing Open D, Open G, DADGAD, and Drop D? Follow the Open Tunings Guitar Learning Path.

Primary Chords in the Key of D

The primary chords in D major are D, G, and A. These chords are built from the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees of the D major scale. In Roman numerals, they are written as I, IV, and V.

These three chords are the foundation of many songs in a major key, especially folk, blues, country, and roots music. In Open D tuning, the open strings already form a D major chord, so the next step is learning where the G and A major chords fall on the neck.

In this lesson, we’ll look at several ways to play the main major chords in Open D tuning: D major, G major, and A major.

Want to apply Open D chords to blues riffs and solos? See 101 Blues Riffs and Solos in Open D Guitar Tuning.

Now that you know the primary chords in D major let’s learn four ways to play each chord. First, we will learn four D major chords up to the 12th fret.

Want to learn some blues riffs and solos in Open D?  Check out my book “101 Blues Riffs in Open D” 

D Major Chords in Open D Tuning

The easiest Open D chord is the open-string D major chord. Strum the open strings, and you already have the notes of the chord: D, F#, and A.

From there, you can build several D major shapes across the neck. Some shapes use four strings, while others can be expanded or reduced depending on the sound you want. As long as the chord contains D, F#, and A, it functions as a D major chord.

Start with the most comfortable shapes first, then move them into chord progressions so they become part of your playing instead of isolated diagrams.

Next chord study: After you learn the major shapes, continue with the Open D Minor Chords Lesson.

And as long as we play the 3 notes together, we are playing the D major chord. If D is the lowest-sounding note, we play a D major in root position. When the F# is the lowest note, we play a D major in first inversion, often written with a slash:  D/F#. If the A is the lowest note, then we are playing a D major chord in 2nd inversion. This chord is written like this: D/A.

All three are D chords but have different harmonic functions and sound. Generally, the root position is preferred, while the 1st and 2nd inversions are used as transitional chords (D/F#) or substitute dominant chords (D/A).

It’s a good idea to memorize all the major chord shapes in the video as they can be transposed to different keys, greatly expanding your chord repertoire.

Let’s move on to the fourth chord of D (IV): G major. 

G Major Chords in Open D Tuning

You will start recognizing the major chord shapes reoccurring as you learn the G chords in open D tuning. All these chords are moveable, meaning you just take the chord and shift it down the neck to play different chords. This is what the notes of the G major chord look like in Open D tuning:

Now watch the video to learn 12 G major chords:

Finally, we can learn the A major chords in Open D tuning.

The A Major Chord in Open D

Hopefully, by now, you know the shapes you learned on the D and G chords. Our last chord is the A major chord (A, C#, E). Here are the notes of the A major chord on the fretboard. 

Now watch the video to learn 12 A major chords:

So, now you can try to memorize the reoccurring chord shapes and apply them to your songs. How about we put our chords to use and learn a few chord progressions in D major?

Popular Songs with Open D Primary Chords

The chord progressions below are taken from popular songs you have likely heard before. Playing in Open D gives a new sound to songs originally played in standard guitar tuning. They will sound different because they have different voicings (arrangement of notes), but that could be good.

Maybe this will inspire you to convert some of your standard tuning guitar songs into your repertoire with Open D.  Not everything is in D major, so you must transpose the chords to the key of your choice. Take the moveable shapes and transpose them to the appropriate key.

Related Open Tuning Lessons

If you want to continue exploring open tunings, these related lessons and resources connect well with this Open D chord lesson:

• Introduction to Open G Guitar Tuning
• Open Tunings Guitar Learning Path
• Learn the 12-Bar Blues Progression in Open D Tuning
• 101 Blues Riffs and Solos in Open D Guitar Tuning
• Classical Guitar Book in Open D Tuning

Transposing Open D Chords

That’s it for the primary chords in D major. The next step is transposing these chord shapes to the other major keys. The chord shapes from this lesson are likely the most played major chords in Open D tuning, but there’s no reason not to learn all the keys to master Open D guitar tuning fully.

Play the major chords using the circle of fifths. Experiment with different string sets but try to keep your hand within a five to six-fret span:

F          C         G         D         A         E          B          F#        C#       G#       Eb        Bb

Of course, the major chords are essential to learning, but minor chords are no less important. That will have to wait until our next Open D chord lesson:  learning the secondary chords in D major.

Check back again for the next lesson. Subscribe for new lessons, books and sheet music arrangements to continue your Open D journey.

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When Open D Guitar Chords Are the Right Choice

When is Open D better than Open G?
Open D is often the better choice when you want a full, deep, resonant sound with strong bass support. It works especially well for slide guitar, solo playing, and slower blues or folk styles. Open G tends to feel brighter and punchier, while Open D feels wider and more sustained.

Is Open D better for slide or fretted playing?
Open D works extremely well for both. Slide players benefit from the open major chord and wide string spacing, while fretted players can build strong chord shapes and partial voicings without complex fingerings. Many players use Open D as a hybrid tuning for slide and fretted passages.

What should I practice first in Open D?
Start with the open D chord, then learn the 5th-fret (G) and 7th-fret (A) barre shapes. From there, add one movable minor shape and one partial chord. This order lets you play real progressions quickly instead of memorizing dozens of shapes.