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Chord · D Major 7th

Dmaj7 Chord

Dmaj7 is D, F#, A and C#dreamy, sophisticated. Tonic of jazz ballads.

Hear it

Dmaj7 on every instrument

The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

×5fr13241EADGBE
Guitar2 voicings
CDEFGAB
Piano3 voicings
5fr2311GCEA
Ukulele2 voicings
10fr1423EADG
Bass1 voicing
142GDAE
Mandolin3 voicings
×114GDGBD
Banjo2 voicings

What Dmaj7 is made of

Dmaj7 (D major seventh) is built from the notes D, F#, A, C#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, 7.

Stack 1, 3, 5 and 7 on a root of D and you get D, F#, A and C#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cmaj7 sounds like a transposed Dmaj7.

Major 7th: Dreamy, sophisticated. Tonic of jazz ballads.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with F rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain Dmaj7

All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 4 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Other chords on D

Same root, different colour.

The same major seventh shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

Questions people ask about Dmaj7

What notes are in the Dmaj7 chord?
Dmaj7 is made of D, F#, A and C# — the 1, 3, 5 and 7 degrees of a major seventh chord built on D.
What keys use the Dmaj7 chord?
Every note of Dmaj7 belongs to 4 keys: D Major (I), A Major (IV), B Minor (III), F# Minor (VI). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Dmaj7 on guitar and piano?
This page shows Dmaj7 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 13 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Learn the theory behind it

Why Dmaj7 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineWhat a seventh chord is for — tension, resolution, and the seat it takes in the key.6 min readThe 12-Bar Blues — Three Chords, A Century of HitsSeventh chords are the whole sound of the blues. Twelve bars is where to hear it.7 min read