What notes are in a Dmaj7 chord?

Dmaj7 contains four notes: D (root), F♯ (major third), A (perfect fifth), and C♯ (major seventh).

How do you play Dmaj7 on guitar?

The most common voicing is xx0222 — mute strings 6-5, then D (open 4th), F♯ (2nd fret 3rd string), A (2nd fret 2nd string), C♯ (2nd fret 1st string). The voicing is one of the easiest jazz chords to finger.

How is Dmaj7 different from D7?

Only the seventh changes. Dmaj7 has C♯ (major 7th); D7 has C natural (minor / dominant 7th). The half-step shift creates two very different harmonic functions.

Where does Dmaj7 appear in famous music?

In every jazz standard in D major: "Girl from Ipanema" (in F but echoing D-shaped harmony), "Sweet Georgia Brown," "I Got Rhythm" (in various transpositions). Pop ballads in D major from the 60s onward also use Dmaj7 constantly.

D major 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

D major 7 (Dmaj7) — D, F♯, A, C♯ — is D major with a major 7th on top. The chord shines on guitar because the open strings (D, A) line up with D major harmonics; jazz guitarists from Wes Montgomery onward have made Dmaj7 a signature voicing. "Girl from Ipanema" is in F major but visits Dmaj7-related colours constantly.

Intervals

The D major 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

D→F#major 3rd4 semitones
F#→Aminor 3rd3 semitones
A→C#major 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the D major 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the D major 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

Dmaj7 has C♯ as its 7th — the leading tone of D. Replacing C♯ with C natural produces D7 (dominant), which has a tense, "needs to resolve" character. On guitar, the open Dmaj7 voicing (xx0222) is among the most-used jazz chords for beginners learning extended harmony.

In context

Dmaj7 is the I chord in D major. The ii–V–I cadence runs Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7. Dmaj7 also appears as IV in A major (very common in jazz) and as bVI in F♯ minor. The progression Dmaj7 → Bm7 → Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7 (I–vi–ii–V–I) is the spine of countless ballads.

Drill it

The D major 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in a Dmaj7 chord?: Dmaj7 contains four notes: D (root), F♯ (major third), A (perfect fifth), and C♯ (major seventh).
How do you play Dmaj7 on guitar?: The most common voicing is xx0222 — mute strings 6-5, then D (open 4th), F♯ (2nd fret 3rd string), A (2nd fret 2nd string), C♯ (2nd fret 1st string). The voicing is one of the easiest jazz chords to finger.
How is Dmaj7 different from D7?: Only the seventh changes. Dmaj7 has C♯ (major 7th); D7 has C natural (minor / dominant 7th). The half-step shift creates two very different harmonic functions.
Where does Dmaj7 appear in famous music?: In every jazz standard in D major: "Girl from Ipanema" (in F but echoing D-shaped harmony), "Sweet Georgia Brown," "I Got Rhythm" (in various transpositions). Pop ballads in D major from the 60s onward also use Dmaj7 constantly.