Log In My Account Join Upgrade Premium VIP Beta Tester Free Trial
Menu Search Join VIP Beta Tester Premium
 

Having fun with D/F#

Lesson # • 

Having fun with D/F#

Video Overview

Coming soon!

Looking for a Print-Friendly Guide?

This is one of my few lessons that doesn't have a printable song sheet / PDF available. If you'd like to request I make one, let me know by clicking the button below! If there's enough demand I'll bump it toward the top of the list.

Click to Request

How to play D/F#

When learning songs on guitar, it’s very common to come across the D/F# chord – which we’d say out loud as “D over F sharp”. The main idea is to take a typical D-major chord, and play an F# as the bass-most note within the chord (replacing the “D” we would typically have as the bass note). The most common ways to play this chord is shown below, next to a regular D-major chord for the sake of comparison.

E ––––2–––––             E ––––2–––––        E ––––2–––––
B ––––3–––––             B ––––3–––––        B ––––3–––––
G ––––2–––––             G ––––2–––––        G ––––2–––––
D ––––0–––––             D ––––0–––––   or   D ––––4–––––
A ––––––––––             A ––––0–––––        A ––––––––––
E ––––––––––             E ––––2–––––        E ––––––––––
      D                       D/F#                D/F#

Wait, why would you ever use this chord?

Great question! And it’s very important to understand the role this chord plays –– because this will help you take the approach to playing it that is most appropriate for the use case in front of you. Typically, this chord is used as a transitional step between either an E-minor or a G-major… and quite often, the D/F# is used as a stepping stone between an E-minor and a G-major. The effect of these chords in combination is that of a descending (or ascending) bass line, running as a thread between these chords.

Examples of the D/F# in actual use

The most common scenario may be going from a G down to a D/F# down to an E-minor. When playing these, notice the descending bass note:

Walking down:                         Walking up:                   

E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––               E ––––0–––––2–––––3––––        
B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––               B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––        
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––               G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––        
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––               D ––––2–––––0–––––0––––           
A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––               A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––        
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––               E ––––0–––––2–––––3––––        
      G    D/F#   Em                        Em   D/F#   G

If these

E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––––––––2––––
E ––––3–––––––––––0––––
      G     D     Em

E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––0–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
      G    D/F#   Em

E –––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––––––––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2––––
E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
      G    D/F#   Em

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––3–––––3–––––3–––––3–––––  <== left ring finger stays here,
G ––––0–––––2–––––0–––––0–––––      on 3rd fret, for all chords!
D ––––2–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––
A ––––2–––––0–––––2–––––3–––––
E ––––0–––––2–––––3–––––––––––
     Em7   D/F#   G   Cadd9


E ––––3–––––2–––––0––––
B ––––3–––––3–––––0––––
G ––––4–––––2–––––0––––
D ––––5–––––4–––––2––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––
      G    D/F#   Em

E ––––7–––––5–––––3––––
B ––––8–––––7–––––5––––
G ––––7–––––7–––––4––––
D –––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––
      G    D/F#   Em

I hope all this was helpful

Please let me know what other chords you’d like to see lessons made for! In the meantime, best of luck with your playing.

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 243 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Recently Added
Most Popular
Beginner-Friendly
Browse by Artist
Browse by Song Title
Browse by Song Year

Featured Courses

Strumming & Rhythm

While your left hand is busy learning chords, your right hand has its own job: creating a sense of rhythm with strumming! This can be tricky at first, but there's so much fun-to-be-had once you get over the hump. Here's a guide to get you started.

17 lessons

View

Fingerstyle & Travis Picking

Dive into the basics of fingerstyle guitar, with plenty of examples of riffs, exercises, and songs that put this technique to use. This includes a healthy serving of Travis Picking lessons, which feature an alternating bass note played with your right thumb.

31 lessons

View

Blues Starter Kit

A guide to must-know elements of beginner blues guitar! I'll walk you through the essential topics, showing you fun things to play along the way.

18 lessons

View

Reading Music for Guitarists

Learn to read tabs, chord charts, fretboard diagrams, strumming patterns, and more! This course explains how to understand all of these must-know notation styles.

6 lessons

View

Learning Lead Guitar

A collection of videos teaching you licks, riffs, solos, and other lead guitar techniques! Includes info on scales, CAGED shapes, and other helpful lead guitar concepts.

24 lessons

View

Beginner Chord Guide

A guide to the must-know chords you'll need when getting started with guitar! The quickest way to learn major chords, minor chords, the chords in each key, and more.

22 lessons

View

Practical Music Theory

A general overview of must-know theory concepts. The goal here is practical, easy-to-understand explanations — all of which provide clarity to your everyday guitar playing.

12 lessons

View

Using a Capo

Capos are incredibly helpful if you want to play along with your favorite artist, change a song's key, adjust things to your vocal range, and so on. In this series of videos I explain all this & more!

8 lessons

View

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

View

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

View

Key Master

See and hear the notes, chords, scales used in each of the most common keys.

View

Blank Tabs

Free PDF templates to download, print, and write out your own guitar tabs!

View

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!

Recent Lessons

  • Oct 24, 2024

    "Fast Car" - Strumming & Rhythm Guide!

    I've gotten a ton of emails asking how to strum Fast Car — here's a lesson showing 3 possible approaches! You can strum the whole song using what I teach, or combine this with the fingerstyle riff from lesson #494.

  • October 18, 2024

    CAGED - It's More Than Just Chords!

    Learn how each CAGED shape contains not only a chord, but also an arpeggio, pentatonic, and full diatonic scale! This is a must-know realization that'll level up any practice you do with these shapes.

  • October 3, 2024

    Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee"

    In honor of Kris Kristofferson's passing, here's a brand new play-along cover of his 1971 classic Me and Bobby McGee – with some updated strumming tips included.

  • September 27, 2024

    Paul Simon Fingerstyle with "59th Street Bridge Song"

    Let's dive into Simon & Garfunkfel's 1966 hit, where I'll walk you through several ways to tackle Paul Simon's Travis-style fingerpicking.

  • September 20, 2024

    Fingerstyle & Travis Picking Lesson Roundup!

    I've been busy organizing all my lessons teaching fingerstyle & Travis picking, and have them in a new easy-to-browse layout. Check 'em out here!

  • September 13, 2024

    "Rebel Rouser" - 1950s Lead Guitar Lesson

    Let's learn how to play Duane Eddy's 1958 classic! This song's memorable riff is easy to approach, but poses a fun challenge as the song changes key over and over. I'll walk you through it all, jam tracks included!

  • September 5, 2024

    Lead Guitar Lesson Roundup!

    I've organized all my lead guitar lessons into a new easy-to-browse area of the website! Whether you're interested in techniques or learning song-based riffs, I've got a lot of lessons I'm sure you'll enjoy.

  • Aug 30, 2024

    "Linger" by The Cranberries

    A deep-dive into The Cranberries 1993 classic, showing you the intro riff and three different ways to strum the verse & chorus. Such a fun song to play!

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage