Diminished 7

Diminished 7th Chords - How They
Work
Diminished 7th chords play a special role in music. But their function is quite
different from more conventional chords (e.g. major and minor) and can be
neglected in our songwriting as a result.
In this lesson we'll explore some effective ways "dim7" chords can be used in
music, starting with the introductory video below...
Basic Diminished 7th Chord Theory

Let's begin by looking at the ingredients that make up a diminished 7th chord.
From the root (1), we have the intervals of a minor 3rd (♭3) and diminished
5th (♭5), together known as a diminished triad.
We then add a diminished 7th interval (♭♭7) making up this four-tone seventh
chord.
This crucial diminished 7th interval is confusingly labelled as a double flat 7,

which is enharmonic to (the same sound as) a major 6th.
I don't want to get too much into the theory behind why we use a double flat,
and you can read up on it. But in short, it's to do with how the intervals of this
unique 7th chord are stacked in minor 3rds...
Don't be put off learning about these chords due to theoretical anomalies like
"double flat". It's the sound and function of these chords that truly matters,
and that's what we're going to explore!
Played by itself, the diminished 7th chord creates a distinctively tense and
dramatic sound...
You'll see this chord abbreviated as dim7 (e.g. Cdim7)...
...or with a small circle and 7 - °7 - next to the root letter (e.g. C°7).
Dim7 Chord Symmetry

Before we look at the ways we can use diminished 7th chords in
progressions, it's useful to understand their symmetry.
Here I'm playing a C diminished 7 chord with the C root on the 5th string...
If we lay out its intervals across that root string, we can see that each tone is
separated by a minor 3rd interval, or 3 frets if you like...
This consecutive sequence of minor 3rds, from root to octave, creates what is
known as symmetry.
In practical terms, it means we can move any diminished 7th shape up the
neck in minor 3rds and we'll essentially be playing inversions of the same
chord...
Another example of this starting on E diminished 7, using a shape with the

root on the 4th string...
Another example starting on G diminished 7, using a 6th string root shape...
So keep in mind that, in all the examples we'll be looking at, you can position
the diminished 7th shape in several positions based on its minor 3rd
symmetry, to create different voicings of the same chord.
Diminished 7th Chords In Progressions
Let's now look at how diminished 7th chords can function in our
progressions.
Between I and ii
Let's say we were in the key of C major. So C major is our 1 or tonic chord.
If we wanted to move to the 2 (ii) chord, Dm in this key, we might place a
diminished 7th chord between these two chords, as a passing chord.
So D♭dim7 would lead up to Dm from our C major tonic...
Let's hear this movement within a larger progression...
Using the minor 3rd symmetry concept from earlier, we could also play
Edim7 before Dm to get a similar effect...
Another example in E major...
Between IV and V
The diminished 7th chord also commonly occurs between the 4 and 5 chords
in major keys.
For example, in the key of G major, C major would be our 4 chord and D
major our 5 chord.
So we could place a C#dim7 chord in between C and D - G / C / C♯dim7 / D
We might climb our way to this chord as follows...
So whenever you find yourself on the 4 chord of a major key, a diminished
7th chord can be seen as one fret up from that.
Filling Whole Step Gaps With dim7

What we've done so far is fill whole step gaps in the natural major key with a
diminised 7th chord, between the 1 and 2 and 4 and 5.
And using the chord's symmetry, the dimished 7th between 4 and 5 also fills
the whole step between 2 and 3.
The diminished 7th between 1 and 2 also fills the whole step between 6 and
7.
So one effective way to use diminished 7th chords is to place them between
the natural chords of the key.
Another common example of this you'll hear, particularly in jazz styles such
as bossa nova, is the diminished 7th between the ii and iii.
Here we're in the key of F major, with Gm as the ii chord.
So the diminished 7th chord tends to act as a passing link between chords in a
key. Here's an example of taking this concept to its extreme, in the key of B
major...
Diminished 7th Dominant Substitute

The diminished 7th chord can also work as a dominant substitute in both
major and minor keys.
Take the relationship between 1 and 5 in C major - Cmaj (1) / Gmaj (5)
We could replace that G 5 chord with a diminished 7th chord build on the 7
position. That's simply one fret down from the tonic root...
Therefore in C major, Bdim7 would be our dominant substitute.

And using the symmetry from earlier, we can again take this form up the
neck to relative positions.
For example, on the 4 position of F and beyond. We can hear a tension-
resolution effect with the diminished 7th in these positions similar to how the
dominant functions.
The diminished 7th chord is used in a similar way in minor keys, typically to
create more tension over the 5 chord.
In the key of A minor for example, E7 would be our dominant chord, based
on the harmonic minor scale.
Now hear what happens when we play a relative diminished 7th chord,
Bdim7 in this case, over the E...
What we've essentially done here by playing the diminished 7th shape over
the E is add a minor 2nd interval to the dominant...
And using the diminished 7th symmetry once again, we can move this
tension up the neck as follows...
Keep experimenting with diminished 7th chords in your own music. You
never know what you might discover until you try!

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How are diminished 7th chords constructed?

What is the symmetry of diminished 7th chords?

Diminished 7th Chords - How They

Basic Diminished 7th Chord Theory

This crucial diminished 7th interval is confusingly labelled as a double flat 7,

Dim7 Chord Symmetry

Another example of this starting on E diminished 7, using a shape with the

So D♭dim7 would lead up to Dm from our C major tonic...

Let's hear this movement within a larger progression...

Filling Whole Step Gaps With dim7

Diminished 7th Dominant Substitute

Therefore in C major, Bdim7 would be our dominant substitute.

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