Dmaj7 chord
Dmaj7 is D, F♯, A and C♯: 1–3–5–7 built on D. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-x-0-2-2-2 · open · easy
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
- First shape
- x-x-0-2-2-2
Dmaj7 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · D–F♯–A–C♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
Dmaj7 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-2-2-4 · movable · medium
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
- First shape
- 2-2-2-4
Changing out of Dmaj7
Three changes cover most of what Dmaj7 does in songs.
- Dmaj7 → Gmaj7 (IV in D major)
Guitar: Dmaj7 (x-x-0-2-2-2) to Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2): move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the high E string at the same fret, the ring finger goes to the low E string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. D and F♯ carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Dmaj7 to Gmaj7: play Gmaj7 in 2nd inversion (D–F♯–G–B) and D and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while A moves down to G and C♯ down to B. Gmaj7 - Dmaj7 → A7 (V in D major)
Guitar: Dmaj7 (x-x-0-2-2-2) to A7 (x-0-2-0-2-0): your middle finger stays put, the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. An easy one to get up to speed. A and C♯ carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Dmaj7 to A7: play A7 in 2nd inversion (E–G–A–C♯) and A and C♯ stay under the same fingers, while D moves up to E and F♯ up to G. A7 - Dmaj7 → Bm7 (vi in D major)
Guitar: Dmaj7 (x-x-0-2-2-2) to Bm7 (x-2-0-2-0-2): your ring finger stays put, move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret. D, F♯ and A carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Dmaj7 to Bm7: play Bm7 in 1st inversion (D–F♯–A–B) and D, F♯ and A stay under the same fingers, while C♯ moves down to B. Bm7
Guitar with a capo: capo 2, Cmaj7 shape; capo 5, Amaj7 shape; capo 7, Gmaj7 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 2, Cmaj7 shape; capo 5, Amaj7 shape; capo 7, Gmaj7 shape.
How Dmaj7 is built
Dmaj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. The result is soft and a little dreamy, the sound of bossa nova, soul ballads and a lot of indie guitar.
From D, go 4 half steps up to F♯, 3 half steps up to A then 4 half steps up to C♯.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | root | 0 | |
| F♯ | major third | 4 | |
| A | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| C♯ | major seventh | 11 |
Keys and progressions with Dmaj7
In major keys, Dmaj7 is I7 in D major and IV7 in A major. In minor keys it is III7 in B minor and VI7 in F♯ minor.
Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7: that's ii–V–I in the key of D major. the jazz cadence
Chords close to Dmaj7
- Dmaj7 is D plus C♯. D
- Dmaj7 and D7 differ by one note: C♯ in Dmaj7, C in D7. They share D, F♯ and A. D7
Chords that share most of their notes with Dmaj7: D, F♯m, D7, Dadd9, D6, D♯m7♭5.
Every D chord
Dmaj7 chord: questions
What notes are in the Dmaj7 chord?
D, F♯, A and C♯. Dmaj7 is built 1–3–5–7 from D: F♯ is the major third, A is the perfect fifth and C♯ is the major seventh.
How do you play Dmaj7 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-x-0-2-2-2 (open). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play Dmaj7 on piano?
Play D, F♯, A and C♯ with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. D sits between the two black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play Dmaj7 on ukulele?
2-2-2-4 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is Dmaj7 in?
In major keys, Dmaj7 is I7 in D major and IV7 in A major. In minor keys it is III7 in B minor and VI7 in F♯ minor.
What's the difference between Dmaj7 and D?
Dmaj7 is D plus C♯.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.