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Guitar chords · Diminished 7th

D°7 chord on guitar (Ddim7)

D°7 (D ) has four notes: D, F, A♭ and C♭ (played as B), the , ♭3, ♭5 and 𝄫7.

Shapes

How to play D°7

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

D°7 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 5 or the E shape at fret 10. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 5

    4fr××R♭5𝄫7♭3DA♭C♭F
  • E shape · fret 10

    10frR♭5R♭3𝄫7RDA♭DFC♭D
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes D°7 diminished 7th

A chord stacks three minor 3rds, so every note is the same distance from the next. It is the vii°7 of the and pulls hard to the chord a above its .

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭5th and the 𝄫7th make D°7 a chord.

  1. DRroot
  2. F♭3essential
  3. A♭♭5essential
  4. C♭𝄫7essential
EADGBE0135791215DDDDDDDDFA♭C♭FC♭FA♭C♭FA♭C♭FA♭C♭FA♭C♭FA♭C♭FA♭C♭F
  • D, the root
  • Other chord tones

D°7 usually resolves up a to E♭ or E♭m, the chord it leads into. Its four notes are evenly spaced, so the same shape also works as F°7, G♯°7 and B°7, leading to G♭, A and C.

Keys

Keys with D°7

D°7 belongs to one key: E♭ minor (vii°7, ).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

D°7 over another bass note

A keeps D°7 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • D°7/F

    D°7 with its ♭3rd, F, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • D°7/A♭

    D°7 with its ♭5th, A♭, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • D°7/C♭

    D°7 with its 𝄫7th, C♭, in the bass: the third inversion.

Questions

D°7, in short

What notes are in the D°7 chord?
D°7 (D ) has four notes: D, F, A♭ and C♭ (played as B), the , ♭3, ♭5 and 𝄫7.
How do you play D°7 on guitar?
D°7 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 5 or the E shape at fret 10.
What key is D°7 in?
D°7 belongs to one key: E♭ minor (vii°7, ).
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