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You are here: Home / Guitar Chords / Diminished seventh chord

August 26, 2013 By Richie Leave a Comment

Diminished seventh chord

A diminished seventh chord, also known as a full diminished seventh chord, is composed using a root/1st, minor 3rd, diminished 5th and diminished 7th (or R/1-♭3-♭5-Double Flat7) intervals played simultaneously. Generally written as C⁰7, C⁰7 or Cmi6(♭5), it is good practice to simply use an uppercase C, a super scripted lowercase ⁰ and the number 7 to represent it in writing (ie: C⁰7).

A diminished seventh chord occurs naturally in a harmonized harmonic minor scale on the seventh scale degree, and although it does not occur naturally in a harmonized major scale, it does appear in a major scales parallel harmonic minor. The double flat (Double Flat) 7th is enharmonically equivalent to a major 6th and is one half-step/semi-tone lower than a minor 7th interval, hence the name diminished 7th.

The tonality of a diminished seventh chord is dissonant and distinctly unresolved, it "drives" towards root resolution as opposed to a major seventh chord which is stable and centered.


Diminished seventh chord profile

Intervals root/1st, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, diminished 7th or R/1-♭3-♭5-Double Flat7
Stability Dissonant, unstable, unresolved
Grouping class Tetrad
Common names (examples in C) C⁰7, Cdim7, CDIM7, Cmi6(♭5)


Chord shapes/voicings

  • Diminished seventh chord shapes
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  • Octave chart
Diminished seventh chord shapes for guitar
Chord box reading guide
All notes on guitar neck
Guitar octave chart guide


Diminished seventh chord table

Chord name Root Minor third Diminished fifth Diminished seventh
C⁰7 C E♭ G♭ BDouble Flat (A)
C♯⁰7 C♯ E G B♭
D♭⁰7 D♭ F♭ (E) ADouble Flat (G) CDouble Flat (B♭)
D⁰7 D F A♭ C♭ (B)
D♯⁰7 D♯ F♯ A C
E♭⁰7 E♭ G♭ BDouble Flat (A) DDouble Flat (C)
E⁰7 E G B♭ D♭
F⁰7 F A♭ C♭ (B) EDouble Flat (D)
F♯⁰7 F♯ A C E♭
G♭⁰7 G♭ BDouble Flat (A) DDouble Flat (C) FDouble Flat (E♭)
G⁰7 G B♭ D♭ F♭ (E)
G♯⁰7 G♯ B D F
A♭⁰7 A♭ C♭ (B) EDouble Flat (D) GDouble Flat (F)
A⁰7 A C E♭ G♭
A♯⁰7 A♯ C♯ E G
B♭⁰7 B♭ D♭ F♭ (E) ADouble Flat (G)
B⁰7 B D F A♭


Audio sample(s)

C Diminished seventh chord voicing #2 http://guitar.ricmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/diminished-seventh-chord/c-diminished-seventh-chord-voicing-2.mp3




Filed Under: Guitar Chords, Other Seventh Chords

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