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C♯ diminished 7 chord

C♯ diminished 7 Diminished & augmented family

Dramatic, suspenseful, silent-film villain.

Easiest shape1 of 4

Square: the root. In colour: the diminished 7th, which gives the chord its sound.

Change a finger and see what it becomes

Built from

C♯root
Eminor 3rd
Gflat 5th
B♭diminished 7th

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

Tension: Can't stay

Hear it in a progression

Passing chord
Slides between two chords, old-time and jazzy. In C major.
Capo and transpose
Leading home
Maximum suspense, then release. In D minor.
Capo and transpose

Where it goes next

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

D
I. Its top note leads up one fret, straight home.
F♯m
iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

Edim7
The same four notes, named from another root. Both have C♯, E, G and B♭.
C7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E, G and B♭.
D♯7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have C♯, G and B♭.
F♯7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have C♯, E and B♭.

Keys it lives in