Intonation on Dm7 chord

[semolinapilcher]

I have never, ever liked playing the cowboy Dm7 chord, and, to a lesser extent, the Dm chord.

I have never been able to get it to sound 'right' to my ear.

This is not peculiar to any one guitar (so it's not the nut), and I don't... think... it's that I'm over-fretting the chord, as I am well aware of this sin from playing electrics with jumbo frets.

So I guess my question is, has anyone else had issues with this particular chord? Is there something in the musical physics of the fretboard that makes this chord naturally awkward somehow?

It might just be my ear and/or my left hand technique, but it's been since my teens, y'know? Maybe it's just me but I thought I'd reach out and check.

Many thanks

[rick-slo]

Nope, the chord sounds fine to me. How do other m7th chords sound to you, such as above. The F chord above just has an F note on the fourth string instead of a D. How does it sound and intonate.

[semolinapilcher]

Other minor 7 chords sound fine to me. Besides Am7, Em7 and Bm7, I play the two-finger 0x0000 form up and down the neck, as well as the Em7 and Am7 based barre chords.

However your question reminds me that on the high E string I really do shun the first fret. My normal thumb-wrapped F chord (major and minor) only uses the lower 5 strings. This is more for convenience/laziness than anything else though.

I never play the 4-stringed F chord below - I always wrap my thumb.

Finally I'd much rather play a Bm7 on capo III than an open Dm7 chord. I honestly capo away from the Dm7 when possible.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by semolinapilcher

Finally I'd much rather play a Bm7 on capo III than an open Dm7 chord. I honestly capo away from the Dm7 when possible.

what shape do you mean?

I never play a Dm7 as x-x-0-2-1-1, but because I find that shape awkward, not because of its sound. (I never play F as x-x-3-2-1-1 either, for similar reasons.)
I prefer x-5-7-5-6-(5). How does that sound to you?

What you should do is check every string of x-x-0-2-1-1 against a good tuner (chromatic obviously). Maybe your intonation is out. It could be over-fretting (as you suggest), although logically that should affect other chords to some extent. It could be your guitar needs a set-up.

[Silly Moustache]

Just substitute an F.

[stanron]

How do you tune? Do you do that thing where you tune to a tuner and then adjust the B string so that a G chord sounds sweet? If so that B can be out of tune for other chords. We are into that awkward area of just versus equal temperament. Normal tuning on a guitar is a compromise where all notes are equally 'slightly out of tune'. Try and correct it for one key and you can seriously impair others.

[difalkner]

I play Dm7 and the 4 string F all the time and they sound just fine to me. I also play the 5 string and full barre F, depending on the song and whether I'm finger picking or strumming for fuller sound, what chord I'm coming from or going to, mood for the song, if I need the bass note, etc.

[ljguitar]

HI sp…
Experimenting with voicings can be fun.

Try a "D" chord shape on frets 5-6 for Dm7.

And a nice, gutsy Dmin in dropped D is:
0-0-3-2-3-x

Just for fun.

[jseth]

I am unclear as to what you want from this thread...

Is this just an announcement/proclamation that you don't "like/feel comfortable playing/refuse to play" that Dmin7 shape and are looking for "agreement" about your stance... or are you looking for tips to use it and make it more easily accessible?

If the former, you might just let us all know, 'cause we'll keep trying to help you, even if you don't want it!

If the latter, then I'd say it's a rather silly chord to have a problem with... being basically a (thumb-over, rock and roll F chord shape without the thumb or the A and D string fretted) simple chord to play and master... as lj said, at the fifth fret, if you play just the g and b strings fretted (high E open), that's a nifty sounding sub for that open position Dmin7...

Would be worth it for you to master that shape, though, as it's used throughout music at different positions on the fretboard... "damp" the D string and sound the low E while playing that shape at the 3rd fret and you have a nice Emin7 that flows into a lot of blues-shaped soloing ventures...

I'd suggest playing a progression with an Amin7 / Dmin7 / E7(alt) or some such, and really dig in to that chord shape/position and make peace with it... doesn't mean you have to use it all the time, but at least it will be there when you DO need/want it...

[GHS]

Have you tried the fingering Dm7, x-3-5-3-x-5 ? ( hope I wrote that right), Puts the fifth in the bass, also right in line for F M/m 7th, etc. Gets your fingers away from the nut, could be the problem?

[semolinapilcher]

Originally Posted by jseth

Is this just an announcement/proclamation that you don't "like/feel comfortable playing/refuse to play" that Dmin7 shape and are looking for "agreement" about your stance... or are you looking for tips to use it and make it more easily accessible?

The answer is... both of the above. I was/am curious whether anyone else has (had) this issue, and whether there were any tricks to getting past it. I have now confirmed it's not a common problem. Rats.

Many thanks for the alternate chord voicings, the sweetened tuning hypothesis, etc. I will continue to ponder.

[jemartin]

I seem to remember struggling with the Dmin chord in my early years of playing, but when I shifted to guitars with the wider nut (1 3/4 and beyond), it was much easier for me to play... just klutzy I guess. Anyway I love to play songs which progress from the Dmin to the F (with full barre) on a guitar with plenty of real estate to work with, and good action.
I think the need to play several Christmas songs with the these chords in them.. forced me to learn to love them... and it did eventually.