I recognise the problem. In my case, it was mostly my 2nd finger ending up just too close to (on top of) the fret. Paying attention to pulling that finger just a tiny bit further back helped.
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Oh wow, now Iām feeling stupid for not noticing this myself. That was exactly the problem. Did not notice my 2nd finger sliding a bit forward when placing the 3rd finger. Iāll pay more attention to this, I think this will fix the issue for me.
Thank you very much 
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Total newbie. 46, always wanted to play and Iām enjoying that challenge thus far. My goal is to be able is to be able to play Last Christmas in 25 ok my guitar.
Anyhow Iām trying to get that D chord down and itās a struggle. I compete in BJJ and use kettlebells so my fingers are finding it a struggle. Buzzing notes and muted notes are an issue. Any hints
Thanks
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Hey Conor. Your goal is very achievable with daily practice.
When learning D (and all chords) the key is to be very slow and accurate at the beginning. Try to position your fingers and hand in a way where you can get the chord sounding clear in isolation. Experiment a bit with different angles. Rewatch Justinās video on the chord and try to pay attention to hand position and finger angle. Fingers close to frets etc.
Once you find the spot, itās easier to get it again. And then itās just a question of repetition until itās fluid and natural (much like BJJ).
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Hello Conor & Welcome!
JK is providing good adviceā¦ once you feel a bit more comfortable with the positioning of your fingers/hand & can get the D chord to ring out properly most of the time, try this:
Form the āDā & downstrum 4 beats, then let go with your fretting hand & slap your knee. Keep the count going 1,2,3,4 etc, re-form the āDā & dowmstrum however many beats are left in that bar.
Eventually, youāll be able to do this without missing any downstrums!!!
Also a good idea to keep your guitar on a stand or wall hanger. When you have a few minutes, you can pick it up and practice chord shapes or strum patternsā¦ I like to play while the coffee is brewing in the morning! Those 5-10 minutes here & there really add up & help you to progress!!!
Good luck!
Tod from New Mexico USA
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To somewhat echo what @CATMAN62 said, when I was first learning my guitar was always accessible, part way between my living room and kitchen so I had to see it many times a day. My personal belief that particularly at first, long practice sessions arenāt the answer, but pick up your guitar for a few minutes at a time but do it many times a day. No one wants to sit and practice a D chord for 30 minute straight, but keep coming back to it and muscle memory quickly builds up. Go for slow and accurate. Do as Justin teaches, fingers deliberately placed onto the strings and check each note rings. It is a bit tedious but it does work. Your speed and accuracy will improve quickly
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My largest problem with the D chord seems to that finger 1, even when playing on the very tip of my finger, right near the nail, its pad mutes String 2.
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@SDusseault75 That shouldnāt matter - finger 1 is in fret 2 of string 3, but youāre also fretting string 2 in the 3rd fret, which would negate the muting.
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Thereās constant buzzing when I would play my G string for this chord. Going down my fret, the string sounds fine, but going up to the 1st and 2nd fret there is buzzing. This is a brand new electric guitar. Got it for Christmas and I had just opened it a couple nights ago. Please, I would like some help on this issue.
If itās a brand new instrument, chances are that replacing the factory strings with a new set and a professional setup by a luthier would solve any issues with fret buzz.
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What does a professional set up contain ? Also, what is a luthier ? Sorry for the questions, I am new to the guitar.
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Hi @kumonoid, and welcome to the forum! A luthier is someone who makes and fixes guitars, and does maintenance on them. A āsetupā is the fine-tuning of your guitar and often helps to make it easier to play and solves buzzing issues like you have. To put it simple: the aim of a setup is to make sure that your guitar sounds right, over the full length of the neck, and that the strings donāt sit higher above the fretboard than necessary while avoiding to put them too low, which creates buzz. Most guitars can do with a setup when they come out of the factory. If you have a local guitar store, take your guitar in and ask them for a setup, they will be able to help you with this.
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A luthier is someone who crafts string instruments. That term is often used when we are really taking our guitar to a technician.
A setup will generally do the following:
- Remove strings
- do a basic cleaning
- check fret heights and even out any that are too high
- clean up fret ends if they are sticking out (fret sprout)
- Install new strings
- (EDIT: forgot this) set string heights to requested or typical distances above the frets
- Check and possibly adjust relief if necessary
Your likely problem is a high fret 3. There may be others you have not found yet. This is a new guitar and it is often useful to have a setup done. The guitar can change due to wood expanding or shrinking since it was made, so it is quite reasonable to do the setup. You are unlikely to need another for years.
It is worth learning to change your own strings and how to properly do the basic care of your guitar. Keeping it clean and in good working condition will help you play comfortably and it will be a lot more enjoyable.
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Thank you so much ! I will definitely take it to my nearest guitar store and get it set up ! Thank you again !
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Appreciate the info ! Will take it to a professional soon and get playing again ! Thanks again !
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Hi Rianna, and a big welcome here to the community, you have had a lot of good advice above and I am sure it is nothing to serious but best looked at before you start playing and learning to put up with it cheers Hec
How do I play the D on my acoustic without it just making a really short āToingā sound? the sound is high pitched, doesnāt last long, and it is not very loud at all.
Hi Divan, Welcome to the community!
Itās hard to be sure without seeing/hearing the issue, but hereās a guess: something might briefly and very lightly touching the thinnest string (the high e), causing it to make the sound. See if you can identify which string is causing the sound, then gently adjust the positions of your fingers. The easiest thing, though, would if you take a brief video (phone is perfect for this) and share it here. It will be easier to diagnose if we can see and hear the issue.
While youāre at it, if youāre feeling social head over to the Introduce Yourself topic and tell us a bit about yourself and your guitar journey so far!
Hope to hear from you soon!
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My dog keeps hitting my guitar with her butt and it sounds better than when I try to play the D chord!
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The DB chord (dogbutt chord)