Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger flat across all 4 strings at the 2nd fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the A string (1st).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 2 | index | A4 | fifth |
| 3rd (C) | fret 2 | index | D4 | root |
| 2nd (E) | fret 2 | index | F♯4 | third |
| 1st (A) | fret 4 | middle | C♯5 | major seventh |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
2 other ways to play Dmaj7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 6655A barre at the 5th fret and two more fingers
- 7999A shape at the 7th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 2nd fret and play the Cmaj7 shape. Every string is raised 2 semitones, so that open shape now sounds Dmaj7.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 2nd fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The notes in Dmaj7
A major seventh chord is built from the root (1), 3, 5 and 7 of its root’s major scale. From D that gives D – F♯ – A – C♯. A major chord with the note a semitone under its root added: soft, open, and at rest.
The same root, other chords: D major, Dm, D7, Dm7, Dsus2, Dsus4, Ddim, Daug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Dmaj7 chord?
D major seventh is four notes: D – F♯ – A – C♯ — the root, 3, 5 and 7 of the D major scale. On ukulele the shape 2224 sounds A4, D4, F♯4 and C♯5, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Dmaj7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 2224 — a barre chord at the 2nd fret, with a barre at the 2nd fret and one more finger. Or put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the Cmaj7 shape, which then sounds Dmaj7.
What is the difference between Dmaj7 and D7?
Dmaj7 has the natural seventh (C♯), a semitone below the root; D7 flattens it another semitone. Dmaj7 is soft and at rest; D7 is restless and leads somewhere. A songbook that says D7 does not mean Dmaj7.