Dmaj7 chord on guitar

Dmaj7 is D, F♯, A and C♯. The easiest shape is x-x-0-2-2-2. Tap Play, then slow it down.

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

How to play Dmaj7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-0-2-2-2, reading from the low E string on the left:

A: index finger, 2nd fret of the G string.
C♯: middle finger, 2nd fret of the B string.
F♯: ring finger, 2nd fret of the high E string.
Leave the D string open: D.
Strum from the D string down; the low E and A strings stay silent.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
With four strings sounding, a shorter strum works best: start on the first played string and stop at the high E.

Other ways to play Dmaj7

10-12-11-11-10-10: barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. Built on the Emaj7 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-5-7-6-7-5: barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Amaj7 shape moved up the neck.

Dmaj7 the capo way

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Cmaj7 shape (x-3-2-0-0-0), capo on the 5th fret and play the open Amaj7 shape (x-0-2-1-2-0) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open Gmaj7 shape (3-2-0-0-0-2). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Dmaj7 chord changes

Songs rarely hold Dmaj7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

Gmaj7 (IV in D major): 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. Gmaj7 on guitar
A7 (V in D major): 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. A7 on guitar
Bm7 (vi in D major): 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. Bm7 on guitar

Dmaj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. Dmaj7 works as a relaxed home chord; swap it in for plain D at the end of a phrase. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice Dmaj7 in two minutes

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: D, A, C♯, F♯. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate x-x-0-2-2-2 and 10-12-11-11-10-10, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Dmaj7 in context

In D major, ii–V–I on guitar is Em7 (0-2-0-0-0-0), A7 (x-0-2-0-2-0) and Dmaj7 (x-x-0-2-2-2). About the jazz cadence.

Dmaj7 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try Dmaj7 on ukulele or Dmaj7 on piano, or compare them on the Dmaj7 chord page.

Close to Dmaj7

Other major seventh chords

Dmaj7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Dmaj7 on guitar?

D, F♯, A and C♯. In the x-x-0-2-2-2 shape the strings play D (D string, open), A (G string), C♯ (B string) and F♯ (high E string).

What's the easiest way to play Dmaj7 on guitar?

x-x-0-2-2-2, shape 1 above. Open strings do part of the work, so no barre.

Is Dmaj7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-x-0-2-2-2 needs no barre. Barre forms exist up the neck if you want a different sound.

Which string does Dmaj7 start on?

In the x-x-0-2-2-2 shape the lowest string you play is the D string, open, which is D, the root. Skip the low E and A strings.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Dmaj7. Updated September 2026.