We have used a self-consistent pseudopotential method within local-density-functional theory to calculate the equilibrium ground state properties of transition metals Mo, Nb, Zr. Equilibrium lattice constants, cohesive energies, and bulk moduli are in excellent agreement with experiment. First principles frozen phonon calculations are then performed for the longitudinal (2/3,2/3,2/3) phonon in Mo, Nb, and bcc Zr as well as the H-point phonon in Mo and Nb. The validity of the adiabatic approximation is investigated for the Mo H-point phonon. The microscopic interactions responsible for the vast frequency differences of the longitudinal (2/3,2/3,2/3) phonon in Mo, Nb, and Zr are analyzed making use of the Hellmann-Feynman theorem.