Key of D major
The key of D major has two sharps — F♯ and C♯. Its scale runs D E F♯ G A B C♯, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The majors — D (I), G (IV) and A (V) — are the workhorses that carry most songs in the key; the minors Em (ii), F♯m (iii) and Bm (vi) supply the softer colors, and C♯° (vii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative minor: B minor — the same seven chords, with Bm as home base.
The seven chords of D major
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of D major?
- The seven chords in the key of D major are D (I), Em (ii), F♯m (iii), G (IV), A (V), Bm (vi) and C♯° (vii°).
- What is the relative minor of D major?
- B minor. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — B minor simply treats Bm, not D, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does D major have?
- D major has two sharps: F♯ and C♯.