# D♯ Major 7th piano chord (D♯maj7)

D♯maj7 contains D♯, F×, A♯ and C×. A major triad with the major seventh added on top. D♯ and A♯ are black keys; F× and C× are white.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/major-7th/d-sharp/
- Entity: chord:major-7th:d-sharp
- Notes: D♯ F× A♯ C×
- Formula: 1 3 5 7
- Intervals from root: P1, M3, P5, M7
- Interval stack (semitones): 4 3 4
- Also written: D♯maj7, D#maj7, D♯ major 7th
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | D♯ | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 3 | F× | Major third | 4 |
| 5 | A♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 7 | C× | Major seventh | 11 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 2 on D♯, finger 3 on F×, finger 4 on A♯, finger 5 on C×. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 2-3-4-5, left hand 5-4-3-2. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | D♯ | D♯3 F×3 A♯3 C×4 | 7 | 11 st, 151 mm |
| First inversion (D♯maj7/F×) | F× | F×3 A♯3 C×4 D♯4 | 6/5 | 8 st, 110 mm |
| Second inversion (D♯maj7/A♯) | A♯ | A♯3 C×4 D♯4 F×4 | 4/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Third inversion (D♯maj7/C×) | C× | C×4 D♯4 F×4 A♯4 | 4/2 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (10)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | D♯3 F×3 A♯3 C×4 | 11 st, 151 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | F×3 A♯3 C×4 D♯4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | A♯3 C×4 D♯4 F×4 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Close, third inversion | C×4 D♯4 F×4 A♯4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Drop 2 | A♯2 D♯3 F×3 C×4 | 16 st, 220 mm | identical | none |
| Drop 3 | F×2 D♯3 A♯3 C×4 | 19 st, 261 mm | identical | none |
| Drop 2 and 4 | D♯2 A♯2 F×3 C×4 | 23 st, 316 mm | identical | none |
| Shell, root 7 3 | D♯2 C×3 F×3 | 16 st, 220 mm | subset | omits A♯ |
| Guide tones, 3 and 7 | F×3 C×4 | 7 st, 96 mm | subset | omits D♯ and A♯ |
| Rootless close | F×3 A♯3 C×4 | 7 st, 96 mm | subset | omits D♯ |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Relative-major color |
| E♭ major | Imaj7 | Tonic, home |
| G minor | ♭VImaj7 | Pre-dominant color |
| B♭ major | IVmaj7 | Subdominant, away from home |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (9)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ♭III, ♭VI, ii, v | C minor | ♭IIImaj7 | E♭maj7 to A♭maj7 to Dm7♭5 to Gm7 | D♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭III | C minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Cm7 to E♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Cm7 |
| ii, V, I | E♭ major | Imaj7 | Fm7 to B♭7 to E♭maj7 | 2 tones held from B♭7 |
| IV, I | E♭ major | Imaj7 | A♭maj7 to E♭maj7 | 2 tones held from A♭maj7 |
| I, vi, ii, V | E♭ major | Imaj7 | E♭maj7 to Cm7 to Fm7 to B♭7 | D♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| ♭VI, iv, i, v | G minor | ♭VImaj7 | E♭maj7 to Cm7 to Gm7 to Dm7 | D♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭VI | G minor | ♭VImaj7 | Gm7 to E♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Gm7 |
| IV, V, I | B♭ major | IVmaj7 | E♭maj7 to F7 to B♭maj7 | D♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| I, IV | B♭ major | IVmaj7 | B♭maj7 to E♭maj7 | 2 tones held from B♭maj7 |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| D♯maj9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | adds E♯ | 4 |
| D♯ | 1 3 5 | drops C× | 3 |
| D♯7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | C× becomes C♯ | 3 |
| D♯mMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | F× becomes F♯ | 3 |
| D♯6 | 1 3 5 6 | C× becomes B♯ | 3 |
| D♯add9 | 1 3 5 9 | C× becomes E♯ | 3 |
| D♯9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | C× becomes C♯, E♯ | 3 |
| D♯m | 1 ♭3 5 | F×, C× becomes F♯ | 2 |
| D♯aug | 1 3 ♯5 | A♯, C× becomes A× | 2 |
| D♯sus2 | 1 2 5 | F×, C× becomes E♯ | 2 |
| D♯sus4 | 1 4 5 | F×, C× becomes G♯ | 2 |
| D♯m7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | F×, C× becomes F♯, C♯ | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {3, 7, 10, 2}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 4, 7, 11]
- Normal order: [2, 3, 7, 10]
- Prime form: (0158)
- Forte number: 4-20
- Interval vector: <101220>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| D♯3 | 51 | 155.56 Hz |
| F×3 | 55 | 196.00 Hz |
| A♯3 | 58 | 233.08 Hz |
| C×4 | 62 | 293.66 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in D♯maj7?

D♯maj7 contains D♯, F×, A♯ and C×. The formula is 1, 3, 5, 7.

### How do you play D♯maj7 on piano?

Play D♯, F×, A♯ and C× together. Right hand fingers 2, 3, 4, 5; left hand 5, 4, 3, 2. D♯ and A♯ are black keys; F× and C× are white.

### What are the inversions of D♯maj7?

4 positions: root position D♯ F× A♯ C×, D♯maj7/F×, D♯maj7/A♯, D♯maj7/C×.

### What keys contain D♯maj7?

4: ♭IIImaj7 in C minor, Imaj7 in E♭ major, ♭VImaj7 in G minor, IVmaj7 in B♭ major.

### What is the difference between D♯maj7 and D♯maj9?

Adds E♯. 4 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy D♯maj7 for small hands?

The guide tones, 3 and 7 voicing, F×3 C×4, spans 7 semitones or about 96 mm.

### What are the frequencies of D♯maj7?

From D♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 155.56, 196.00, 233.08, 293.66 Hz.

### What is the set class of D♯maj7?

Prime form (0158), Forte 4-20, interval vector &lt;101220&gt;.

### How do I transpose D♯maj7 to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, 5, 7 formula on the new root. Cmaj7 is C, E, G, B; C♯maj7 is C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯.

### Is E♭maj7 the same as D♯maj7?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:major-7th:d-sharp
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12