Dmaj7 Piano Chord

Dmaj7 is the D major seventh chord. It has four notes: D, F sharp, A and C sharp. Two of them are black keys, sitting under the second and little fingers.

1D2F♯3A5C♯C4C5

D at the bottom, then F♯ and A and C♯. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black keys are F♯ and C♯.

How to play Dmaj7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the D above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): D
  3. Index finger (2): F♯
  4. Middle finger (3): A
  5. Little finger (5): C♯
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just D on its own as a bass note.

The two black keys fall under fingers 2 and 5, with white keys under 1 and 3. Let the hand sit at a middle depth so neither pair has to reach.

Inversions of Dmaj7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Dmaj7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionF♯ A C♯ D
Dmaj7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, F♯ A C♯ D
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionA C♯ D F♯
Dmaj7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, A C♯ D F♯
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionC♯ D F♯ A
Dmaj7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, C♯ D F♯ A
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The top note is C natural
That gives D7, which pulls toward G. Dmaj7 needs C sharp, the black key to its right.
The chord sounds sad
The second note is F sharp, the black key. F natural would give Dm7.
The hand rocks
With black keys under two fingers and white keys under the others, the hand wants to move in and out. Park it in the middle and let the fingertips do the work.

What makes it a Dmaj7

D · F♯ · A · C♯ 1 3 5 7

Dmaj7 is a D major triad, D F sharp A, with a C sharp added: the major seventh, a half step below the D above it.

It is the I chord of D major and the IV of A. Both are common guitar keys, so this chord turns up often in songs written on that instrument.

Dmaj7 vs D7

The top note. Dmaj7 has C sharp and rests; D7 has C natural and drives toward G.

In the key of D, Dmaj7 is home and D7 is a chord borrowed to push toward G. The two look almost identical on paper and behave in opposite ways.

Questions about Dmaj7

Which notes are in a Dmaj7 chord on piano?

D, F sharp, A and C sharp. F sharp and C sharp are black keys; D and A are white.

What fingers do you use for Dmaj7?

Right hand: thumb on D, index on F sharp, middle on A, little finger on C sharp. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

What is the difference between Dmaj7 and D7?

The top note. Dmaj7 has C sharp and sits still; D7 has C natural and pulls to G.

Is Dmaj7 hard to play?

No. Two black keys under the second and little fingers, with the hand at a middle depth. Nothing stretches beyond a seventh.

Where is the Dmaj7 chord used?

As the I chord in D and the IV in A. It is common in pop, folk and bossa nova.

Chords to learn next

Other D chords