Dm to F chord change
Your index finger and middle finger stay down; your ring finger lifts and moves; your little finger goes down fresh. Your strumming hand changes too: Dm starts on the D string, F uses all six strings.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little finger. o means play the string open, ✕ means don’t play it.
Why this change matters
Dm and F are relative minor and major: they share two notes (F and A), and the shapes sit close together.
Dm to F is a medium-difficulty change, helped by the index finger and middle finger that stay put. Going back from F to Dm, make the same moves in reverse: the index finger and middle finger still stay put.
Finger by finger
- Stays putMiddle finger (2) stays put on the G string, 2nd fret.
- Lifts and movesRing finger (3) lifts and moves from the B string, 3rd fret to the A string, 3rd fret.
- Goes downLittle finger (4) goes down on the D string, 3rd fret.
| Finger | On Dm | On F | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index finger (1) | high e string, 1st fret | barre across all six strings, 1st fret | Stays, becomes a barre |
| Middle finger (2) | G string, 2nd fret | G string, 2nd fret | Stays put |
| Ring finger (3) | B string, 3rd fret | A string, 3rd fret | Lifts and moves |
| Little finger (4) | not used | D string, 3rd fret | Goes down |
How to practise Dm to F
- Play Dm and pick each string on its own. Fix any string that buzzes before you start changing.
- Find your anchor: keep the index finger and middle finger pressed down the whole time. They hold your hand in place, so the other fingers only have a short trip.
- Lead with the ring finger: it has the furthest to go (to the A string, 3rd fret). Aim it first and let the other fingers follow.
- Do “ghost changes”: switch from Dm to F and back 20 times without strumming. Lift your fingers only just off the strings, and land them all together.
- Now strum: four strums on Dm, four on F. When that is clean, try two strums each, then one.
- Time yourself with the trainer below: one minute, counting every clean change. Do it once a day and watch the number climb.
An easier way to play it
Dm to F (Small F on the top four strings): the index finger and middle finger stay down. It is the same pair of chords, just fingered so the change is shorter.
- Stays putMiddle finger (2) stays put on the G string, 2nd fret.
- Moves across, same fretRing finger (3) moves across from the B string to the D string, staying on the 3rd fret.
One-minute Dm to F trainer
Press Start, hold Dm through the count-in, then change back and forth for one minute. Tap the big button (or press the space bar) every time you land a clean chord. Your best score is kept.
Want other chords? Open the full chord change trainer.
Songs to use it in
None of the songs in our free library change straight from Dm to F yet, but these use F, so the shape will come in handy.
Dm to F: questions
Which finger stays down when you change from Dm to F?
Your index finger and middle finger stay on the same spot in both chords, so they anchor your hand while the other fingers move.
How do I change from Dm to F faster?
Practise the change on its own, not inside a song. Lift your fingers only just off the strings, land them all at once, and lead with the finger that has the longest trip. Then do one minute of changes a day with a timer and count them. If it still feels slow, try the easier version: Dm to F.
How many Dm to F changes a minute is good?
Count every clean change: Dm to F is one, and back again is two. Around 30 in a minute is a solid start and enough for slow songs. At 40 most songs at a relaxed tempo start to flow, and at about 60 (one change a second) the change is ready for almost anything.
What songs use Dm and F?
Dm and F are relative minor and major: they share two notes (F and A), and the shapes sit close together.
Is F to Dm the same as Dm to F?
It uses the same moves in reverse, and the index finger and middle finger still stay put. Practise both directions: the trainer counts each switch either way.
More chord changes
Learn the chords in the right order
Fretwork’s lessons teach one chord at a time, with a ring test and a one-minute change check before you move on. The first two stages are free.