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Guitar chords · Diminished 7th

C°7 chord on guitar (Cdim7)

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

Shapes

How to play C°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.

C°7 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 3 or the E shape at fret 8. 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 3

    ××R♭5𝄫7♭3CG♭B𝄫E♭
  • E shape · fret 8

    8frR♭5R♭3𝄫7RCG♭CE♭B𝄫C
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes C°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 C°7 a chord.

  1. CRroot
  2. E♭♭3essential
  3. G♭♭5essential
  4. B𝄫𝄫7essential
EADGBE0135791215CCCCCCCCG♭B𝄫E♭G♭B𝄫E♭G♭B𝄫E♭G♭B𝄫E♭B𝄫E♭G♭B𝄫E♭G♭B𝄫G♭B𝄫E♭G♭
  • C, the root
  • Other chord tones

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

Keys

Keys with C°7

C°7 belongs to one key: C♯ minor (vii°7, spelled B♯°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

C°7 over another bass note

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

  • C°7/E♭

    C°7 with its ♭3rd, E♭, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • C°7/G♭

    C°7 with its ♭5th, G♭, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • C°7/B𝄫

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

Questions

C°7, in short

What notes are in the C°7 chord?
C°7 (C ) has four notes: C, E♭, G♭ and B𝄫 (played as A), the , ♭3, ♭5 and 𝄫7.
How do you play C°7 on guitar?
C°7 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 3 or the E shape at fret 8.
What key is C°7 in?
C°7 belongs to one key: C♯ minor (vii°7, spelled B♯°7, ).
All guitar chords