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Guitar Standard
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D/A on guitar: D with A in the bass

D/A is the D major chord (D, F♯, A) with its 5th, A, as the lowest note: the 2nd inversion of D. The notes are the same as in D; only the one at the bottom changes.

Notes
DF♯A
Bass
A 5th of the chord

How to play D/A on guitar

  1. Shape 1 · 1st position

    D/A chord on guitar, shape 1: first position, with open strings, notes D, F#, A

  2. Shape 2 · fret 5 · barre

    D/A chord on guitar, shape 2: barre at fret 5, notes D, F#, A

  3. Shape 3 · fret 2

    D/A chord on guitar, shape 3: from fret 2, notes D, F#, A

  4. Shape 4 · fret 7 · barre

    D/A chord on guitar, shape 4: barre at fret 7, notes D, F#, A

  5. Shape 5 · fret 10 · barre

    D/A chord on guitar, shape 5: barre at fret 10, notes D, F#, A

Where D/A shows up

The 5th in the bass is unstable and asks to move. The textbook use is the cadence: D/A → A7 → D, with the bass holding the same note through the first two chords (the "cadential six-four").

Other positions of D

Frequently asked questions

What does D/A mean?

D/A reads "D over A": you play D and the lowest note is A. In a chord symbol, whatever comes after the slash is always the bass.

What is the difference between D/A and D?

The notes are the same (D, F♯, A); only the lowest one changes. With A in the bass, D is in 2nd inversion, and the bass line can move by step between chords.

How do you play D/A on guitar?

The shapes on this page go from easiest to hardest. In all of them A is the lowest note; the low strings that would sound below it are not played (x).

D chord on guitar