About the Dmaj7 chord
The major seventh adds the natural seventh to a major chord. It sounds soft and dreamy, and turns up constantly in jazz, bossa nova, soul and ballads. The symbol for it is Dmaj7.
How to play Dmaj7
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 3 strings at fret 2, pressing just behind the fret.
- Strum and let the D string ring open, and don't play the low E and A strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of D major
These are the chords built on each note of the D major scale, so they all sound good together with Dmaj7. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other D chords
Dmaj7 chord questions
What notes are in a Dmaj7 chord?
Dmaj7 is made of D, F♯, A and C♯. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, 7 above the root, D.
What is the easiest way to play Dmaj7?
The first shape above is the most common one: x x 0 2 2 2 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Dmaj7 a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.