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Diminished 7 Chords: The Ultimate Connectors
Symmetrical Drama
Diminished 7 Chords: Symmetrical Drama
The diminished 7 chord is very unique, as you will see as you gain experience using it. This chord is the most symmetrical chord you’ll play. As we mentioned while creating the triad, a diminished chord can be used for dramatic special effect or it can serve as a beautiful transition between two other chords.
Here is the C dim triad that we already acknowledged:
To arrive at this diminished triad, we followed these simple steps:
- choose a root (letter name of the chord)
- moving up 3 half steps to the next note of the chord
- moving up 3 more half steps to the final note of the chord
Well, all we need to do is add one more note which is also 3 half steps higher than the top note of that triad:
Symmetry In Action
Therefore, the simply procedure to create any diminished 7 chord is:
- choose a root (letter name of the chord)
- moving up 3 half steps to the next note of the chord
- moving up 3 more half steps to the next note of the chord
- moving up 3 more half steps to the final note of the chord
3-3-3 (half steps) is really easy to remember!
Let’s do it on the root E:
Diminished 7 Chords Serve As Terrific Passing Chords
Okay, let’s take a look at the diminished 7 chord using in a musical context. We have here an excerpt from My Romance by Richard Rogers & Lorenz Hart:
In that excerpt, we see that the Edim7 chord is being used as a passing chord, connecting the Emin7 to the Dmin7.
Move On To More
You’ll want to form diminished 7 chords on all these roots:
C F B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B E A D G
A Discovery Awaits You
As you proceed playing the diminished 7 chord on various roots, you will notice something very interesting that you did not experience with the other 7th chords. At this point, we will just provide a hint and leave it up to you to figure it out:
Other than the fact that you are playing all diminished 7 chords, do you see anything in common with any of the chords as you proceed?
It’s worth your investigation. Have fun as you dive into the world of diminished chords. You’re in for a pretty fascinating journey!
Ready to Fill in the Gaps?
You’ve covered the essential 7th chords—and honestly, what you know right now can already take you incredibly far as you explore lead sheets and start making real music. You should feel great about that!
But there are other chord variations out there—half-diminished 7ths, augmented 7ths, sus chords, and more. Want to demystify them all in one focused session?
Join Me for “Chord Confidence”
A One-Hour Live Zoom Session
We’ll fill in all the remaining gaps, answer your questions in real-time, and give you complete confidence with every chord symbol you’ll encounter. You’ll leave this session ready to tackle any lead sheet with clarity and ease.
Know Your 7th Chords
We’ll take a look at major 7ths, dominant 7ths, minor 7ths, diminished 7ths, and more. This simple, 9-minute video will break down 7th chords in a way that’s easy to grasp, giving you the confidence to play your favorite standards with ease.