D#maj7 Chord on Ukulele
D#maj7 = D# – G – A# – D (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 7th)
D sharp major seventh spreads across a wide five-fret span, but keeps one thing free: the open G string still hands over the third at no cost, exactly as it does in plain D# major. From there, the middle finger drops onto the C string's second fret for the major seventh — a genuinely low, easy reach — while a small barre across the E and A strings, all the way up at the sixth fret, covers the fifth and the root together. It's a chord that mixes an easy low note with a real stretch, rather than being uniformly hard or uniformly simple.
The major seventh softens D# major's brightness into something more reflective, exactly the relationship maj7 chords always have to their parent triads. Respelled as Ebmaj7, this is the far more common way to encounter the chord, turning up in jazz-influenced or bossa-nova-leaning ukulele arrangements transposed from charts written in flat keys. Because the barre sits so much higher up the neck than the C string's own note, this voicing has a wider internal spread than most of the instrument's other major sevenths, giving it a slightly more open, spacious sound rather than a tightly clustered one.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Place the C string's second fret note first, since it's the easiest and most stable part of the shape, then bring the barre up to the sixth fret across the E and A strings as a separate, deliberate motion — trying to set both at once usually causes one or the other to slip. Because the barre sits so high on the neck, take a moment to reposition the whole hand further up before attempting this chord at speed, rather than trying to stretch there from a lower resting position.
Common Progressions
- Respelled Ebmaj7 - Abmaj7, softening the tonic and IV in the key of Eb
- Imaj7 in place of the plain tonic (D#maj7 - G# - A# - D#maj7)
- A slow D#maj7 vamp suits a reflective instrumental passage.
- IVmaj7 in the key of A# (D#maj7 - A#)
FAQ
- Why does this chord mix an easy note with a genuine stretch?
- The major seventh happens to land conveniently on the C string's second fret, while the root and fifth both require a barre all the way up at the sixth fret — two unrelated coincidences of where the pitches fall on the neck.
- What's the more common spelling for this chord?
- Ebmaj7, the spelling used in jazz-influenced or bossa-nova-leaning arrangements transposed from flat-key charts.
- Does D#maj7 need to resolve anywhere?
- No — a major seventh doesn't carry the built-in pull a dominant seventh has, so this chord can simply sit and be enjoyed rather than pushing the progression toward some particular next stop.
- How does the open G string factor into this voicing?
- It supplies the chord's third for free, the same convenience plain D# major and D# add9 both rely on.
- Is there a lower-position alternative to the sixth-fret barre?
- Not one that keeps all four correct chord tones without clashing — none of the chord's other pitches happen to fall at a lower fret on the E and A strings together.
- What note does D#maj7 add compared to plain D# major?
- D, the major seventh above D#, supplied by the C string's second fret — a single added note that shifts the chord's brightness into something more reflective.
- Would a capo help make this shape's reach more manageable?
- Not for the internal stretch itself, since a capo only shifts everything up the neck uniformly — it wouldn't shrink the distance between the C string's second fret and the sixth-fret barre, which is what actually makes the shape demanding.
- Does D#maj7 appear in real Hawaiian-influenced ukulele repertoire, or mostly transposed jazz charts?
- Almost entirely the latter — its awkward physical shape and rare key make it far more common in jazz standards adapted for ukulele than in traditional Hawaiian or hapa haole material, which tends to favor simpler, lower keys.
- Is there a simplified two-finger approximation of D#maj7 for fast playing?
- Some players drop the barre's third string and rely on just two fretted notes plus the open G string, accepting a slightly incomplete voicing in exchange for a shape that's far quicker to grab mid-song.
D#maj7 on other instruments: D#maj7 on Guitar, D#maj7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.