Julie Swihart

Minor Second Chords

Let’s look at how to play a Dm2 chord (D minor second) chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building any minor second chord.

What Are Minor Second Chords?

Minor second chords are minor chords with an added note. The added note is the second note of the matching major scale.

So to build a minor second chord, we’ll start by building a minor chord. Minor chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching minor scale (learn how to build a minor scale here).

Another way to build a minor chord is to build the matching major chord, then lower the middle note 1/2 step.

Then to convert the minor chord into a minor second chord, we’ll add the second note of the matching major scale to the chord.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play a Dm2 Chord

Now let’s build a Dm2 chord on the piano. We’ll start by building a D minor chord using the first, third and fifth notes of a D minor scale: D – F – A

These are the same notes we get if we start by building a D major chord (D – F♯ – A), and lower the middle note 1/2 step.

Then we’ll add the second note of a D major scale to the chord: E

So to play a Dm2 chord, we’ll play:

D – E – F – A

You can build any minor second chord using this pattern. First build a minor chord, then add the second note of the matching major scale.

Add9 Chords

A Dm2 chord uses the same notes as a Dmadd9 (D minor add ninth) chord. A Dmadd9 chord is a D minor chord with an added major ninth. Since a scale only has eight notes, a major ninth is the same note as the second note of the scale, just one octave up. So the Dm2 chord and the Dmadd9 chords use the same notes, just in a different order:

Dm2 chord: D – E – F – A

Dadd9 chord: D – F – A – E

Other Chord Types

There are many other chord types you can learn. Here are some others:

Major
Minor
Augmented
Diminished
Second
Suspended
Fifth
Sixth
Minor Sixth
Seventh
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Ninth
Minor Ninth
Major Ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to build a Dm2 chord on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build any minor second chord.

Minor second chords can often be used as substitutes for minor chords, since the only difference is the second note. The extra note blends well with the main chord and can add some nice variety!