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F♯ diminished 7 chord

F♯ 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

F♯root
Aminor 3rd
Cflat 5th
E♭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 F major.
Capo and transpose
Leading home
Maximum suspense, then release. In G minor.
Capo and transpose

Where it goes next

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

G
I. Its top note leads up one fret, straight home.
Bm
iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

Cdim7
The same four notes, named from another root. Both have F♯, A, C and E♭.
D7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have F♯, A and C.
F7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A, C and E♭.
G♯7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have F♯, C and E♭.

Keys it lives in