Dm(maj7) D minor-major seventh chord
- Notes
- D F A C#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 11 above the root
- Other symbols
- DmM7, Dm(Δ7), Dmin(maj7)
D to F is a minor third (3 semitones), F to A is a major third (4 semitones), A to C# is a major third (4 semitones). A minor triad with a major seventh, C#, a half step below the root. The minor third F and the major seventh make an augmented triad (F A C#) inside the chord, which gives it its tense, suspenseful sound.
Dm(maj7) on the piano
Root position from D4: D4, F4, A4, C#5. Middle C is C4.
Dm(maj7) on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has D as its lowest note.
x 5 7 6 6 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 C#4 F4 A4
10 x 11 10 10 x (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 C#4 F4 A4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor-major seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Dm(maj7)
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | D F A C# | Dm(maj7) | |
| 1st inversion | F A C# D | Dm(maj7)/F | |
| 2nd inversion | A C# D F | Dm(maj7)/A | |
| 3rd inversion | C# D F A | Dm/C# (also read as Dm(maj7)/C#) |
Where Dm(maj7) fits
Dm(maj7) is i(maj7) in D minor. Most often it is a passing chord in the descending line Dm → Dm(maj7) → Dm7 → Dm6, where one voice falls a half step at a time from D. The first four bars of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine" (Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm7, Cm6 in C minor) are exactly that line.