D diminished 7 chordDdim7

Built from

• Droot
• Fminor 3rd
• A♭flat 5th
• C♭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 D♭ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. D♭I
  2. Ddim7♯i°7
  3. E♭m7ii7
  4. A♭7V7

• Leading home

  Maximum suspense, then release. In E♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. A♭miv
  2. Ddim7vii°7
  3. E♭mi
  4. E♭mi

Where it goes next

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

• E♭

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

• Gm

  iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

• Fdim7

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

• C♯7

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

• E7

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

• G7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have D, F and C♭.

Keys it lives in

• C minoras ii°
• E♭ majoras vii°