Banjo D chord (Open G)D major on the 5-string banjo: 0 2 3 4, and 2 more shapes

D chord chart for 5-string banjo in Open G tuning: 0 2 3 4, open position, with the short 5th string marked
D (D major) on the 5-string banjo, Open G: 0 2 3 4, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 0 2 3 4 (open position)

  1. String 4 (D): open, D
  2. String 3 (G): 2nd fret, index finger, A
  3. String 2 (B): 3rd fret, middle finger, D
  4. String 1 (D): 4th fret, ring finger, F♯
  5. String 5, the short g: open, G, not in the chord

Sounds: D A D F♯  ·  D is D, F♯, A (1 · 3 · 5)

Found in: G major (V), A major (IV), D major (I), A mixolydian (IV), D mixolydian (I), A dorian (IV)

The 5th string: the short g rubs against the F♯ in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.

Up the neck: D shape: 4 2 3 4 (at the nut); Barre shape: 7 7 7 7 (7fr); F shape: 12 11 10 12 (10fr). Slide a shape up or down to play another chord of its kind.

Open G tuning: gDGBD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The app starts in open G, so it opens on these shapes.

More D shapes

  1. 312gF♯ADD4 2 3 0
    open
  2. 7fr111gDDF♯A0 7 7 7
    7fr

Other D chords in Open G

DDmD7Dm7Dmaj7D6Dsus4Dsus2DdimDaug

Other major chords

GADCBEFB♭E♭F♯C♯A♭

D in other tunings

Double CSawmillOpen DC Tuning

All Open G banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app