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F diminished 7 chord

F diminished 7 Diminished & augmented family

Dramatic, suspenseful, silent-film villain.

Easiest shape1 of 3

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

Change a finger and see what it becomes

Built from

Froot
A♭minor 3rd
C♭flat 5th
Ddiminished 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 E major.
Capo and transpose
Leading home
Maximum suspense, then release. In F♯ minor.
Capo and transpose

Where it goes next

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

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

Sounds close

Ddim7
The same four notes, named from another root. Both have F, A♭, C♭ and D.
C♯7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have F, A♭ and C♭.
E7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A♭, C♭ and D.
G7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have F, C♭ and D.

Keys it lives in