A diminished 7 chordAdim7

Built from

• Aroot
• Cminor 3rd
• E♭flat 5th
• G♭diminished 7th

Every note is three frets from the next, so the chord has no centre and can slide anywhere.

Hear it in a progression

• Passing chord

  Slides between two chords, old-time and jazzy. In A♭ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. A♭I
  2. Adim7♯i°7
  3. B♭m7ii7
  4. E♭7V7

• Leading home

  Maximum suspense, then release. In B♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭miv
  2. Adim7vii°7
  3. B♭mi
  4. B♭mi

Where it goes next

Thinking in B♭ major, where it is the vii° chord.

• B♭

  I. Its top note leads up one fret, straight home.

• Dm

  iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

• Cdim7

  The same four notes, named from another root. Both have A, C, E♭ and G♭.

• D7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A, C and G♭.

• F7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A, C and E♭.

• A♭7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have C, E♭ and G♭.

Keys it lives in

• G minoras ii°
• B♭ majoras vii°