The D7 Chord

The Second Most Common Chord in the key of G

In G major tuning, you can play the D7 chord using just 2 fret hand fingers. Make sure to play on your fingertips, not the pads of your fingers. Also, try to place each finger as close to the back of the fret as possible. Only use as much pressure as is necessary. Too much pressure can actually change the pitch. Playing on top of the fret will result in a muted note or buzzing sound, so make sure to place the fingers just behind the fret, not on top.

Long fingernails make proper chording difficult or impossible. If you're taking this banjo thing seriously you may want to cut them short. The free edge of your nail basically needs to be non-existent.

Remember, when you complete the strum, plant your thumb.

In the next lesson, we'll work on switching between G and D7.