Dmaj7 6-string bass chord

How to play Dmaj7 on 6-string bass

The most common way, the first shape above: your index finger on the B string at the 3rd fret, your little finger on the E string at the 5th fret, your middle finger on the A string at the 4th fret and your ring finger on the D string at the 4th fret. Don’t play the G and C strings.

From the B string 3 5 4 4 x x (x: not played, 0: open)

What notes are in Dmaj7?

Dmaj7, D major seventh, is D, F♯, A and C♯: the root (D), the major third (F♯), the perfect fifth (A) and the major seventh (C♯). Its formula is 1 3 5 7.

Are Dmaj7 and D7 the same?

No. Dmaj7 has the major seventh, C♯, a half step below the root; D7 has the minor seventh, C. Dmaj7 sounds calm and open, the sound of jazz ballads and bossa nova; D7 sounds like it has somewhere to go.

Can I play D instead of Dmaj7?

Yes. Dmaj7 is D with C♯ added, so D does the same job with a plainer sound.

Keys with Dmaj7

Dmaj7 is the Imaj7 chord in D major, the IVmaj7 chord in A major, the VImaj7 chord in F♯ minor and the IIImaj7 chord in B minor.