G diminished 7 chordGdim7

Built from

• Groot
• B♭minor 3rd
• D♭flat 5th
• F♭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 F♯ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. F♯I
  2. Gdim7♯i°7
  3. G♯m7ii7
  4. C♯7V7

• Leading home

  Maximum suspense, then release. In G♯ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. C♯miv
  2. Gdim7vii°7
  3. G♯mi
  4. G♯mi

Where it goes next

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

• A♭

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

• Cm

  iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

• C♯dim7

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

• C7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have G, B♭ and F♭.

• E♭7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have G, B♭ and D♭.

• F♯7

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

Keys it lives in

• F minoras ii°
• A♭ majoras vii°