What is the D Augmented Major 7 Chord?
Here's a fretboard view of the D Augmented Major 7 chord so you can see where each chord tone lives across the neck.
Notes and Arpeggios
The augmented major 7th chord combines an augmented triad (#5) with a major 7th, creating a bright, dissonant, cinematic sound. It's rare but effective for creating moments of ethereal tension in jazz and film-score harmony. The complete chord tones are: D, F#, A#, C#. The complete formula is 1, 3, #5, and 7.
How to Use It
This is especially common in blues and jazz, and it also shows up in funk and R&B comping. On bass, outline the harmony one note at a time. Start from the root and add the chord's actual degrees (3, #5, and 7) as the arrangement allows. The chord-tone boxes locate notes; the ordered arpeggio gives a playable route with explicit position shifts.
Connect this chord to the next harmony using nearby chord tones. Shift the hand when the line needs it rather than stretching beyond a comfortable position. Use the highlights to spot where the same tone repeats across strings.