Ways to play Dmaj7
Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.
What's in Dmaj7
A major 7th chord adds the natural 7th, a half step below the root, to a major triad. Dmaj7 is D, F♯, A, C♯. Don't mix it up with D7: the two differ by one note, and that note changes the whole character.
| Note | Formula | Interval from D |
|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root |
| F♯ | 3 | Major 3rd |
| A | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| C♯ | 7 | Major 7th |
Soft, open and a little wistful. It works as a I or IV chord and turns up constantly in jazz, bossa nova, soul and soft rock.
Keys that use Dmaj7
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of D, F♯, A and C♯, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.
| Key | Dmaj7 is the |
|---|---|
| D major | Imaj7 |
| A major | IVmaj7 |
| F♯ minor | VImaj7 |
| B minor | IIImaj7 |
Progressions to try
ii7–V7–Imaj7 in D major
The jazz cadence. The maj7 at the end lands softer than a plain major chord would.
Related chords
Other chords on D: