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Guitar chords · Diminished 7th

B°7 chord on guitar (Bdim7)

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

Shapes

How to play B°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.

B°7 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 2 or the E shape at fret 7. 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 2

    ××R♭5𝄫7♭3BFA♭D
  • E shape · fret 7

    7frR♭5R♭3𝄫7RBFBDA♭B
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes B°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 B°7 a chord.

  1. BRroot
  2. D♭3essential
  3. F♭5essential
  4. A♭𝄫7essential
EADGBE0135791215BBBBBBBBFA♭DFDFA♭DFA♭DFA♭DFA♭DFA♭DFA♭DF
  • B, the root
  • Other chord tones

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

Keys

Keys with B°7

B°7 belongs to one key: C 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

B°7 over another bass note

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

  • B°7/D

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

  • B°7/F

    B°7 with its ♭5th, F, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • B°7/A♭

    B°7 with its 𝄫7th, A♭, in the bass: the third inversion.

Questions

B°7, in short

What notes are in the B°7 chord?
B°7 (B ) has four notes: B, D, F and A♭, the , ♭3, ♭5 and 𝄫7.
How do you play B°7 on guitar?
B°7 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 2 or the E shape at fret 7.
What key is B°7 in?
B°7 belongs to one key: C minor (vii°7, ).
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