Dmaj7 7-string bass chord

How to play Dmaj7 on 7-string bass

The most common way, the first shape above: lay your index finger flat across the two strings from the C to the F at the 1st fret and your ring finger on the G string at the 2nd fret. Let the D string ring open. Don’t play the B, E and A strings.

From the B string x x x 0 2 1 1 (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.