D Major 7th Guitar Chord — Drop C
Guitar chord voicings in Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D)
D Major 7th Voicings in Drop C
D Major 7th filtered by fret:
D Major 7th in Drop C Tuning — Guide
The D Major 7th chord is made up of the following notes: D, F#, A, C#.
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M.
The D Major 7th chord in Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
D major seventh combines a major triad with a major seventh interval, yielding the notes D, F#, A, C# (intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M). The major seventh sits just a half step below the octave, creating a lush, dreamy dissonance that sounds sophisticated rather than tense. This chord is the signature sound of bossa nova, smooth jazz, and neo-soul, evoking warmth, nostalgia, and romantic elegance.
How to Play D Major 7th
On guitar, the most common voicing for D maj7 is x-x-0-2-2-2 — open position with a warm, floating sound on the top four strings. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
D Major 7th in Progressions
D major seventh typically serves as the Imaj7 in D major or the IVmaj7 in A major. These are the two diatonic positions where major seventh chords naturally occur, giving songs a polished, sophisticated character.
Common Substitutions
D6, Dmaj9, or Dadd9 can replace the major seventh, offering varying levels of color and complexity.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.