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D diminished 7th chord on guitar (Ddim7)
Also called or written Ddim7 or D°7
D diminished 7th is built from D, F, A♭, and C♭. The open voicing uses two open strings and two fretted notes.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionD–F–A♭–C♭Ddim7×-×-0-1-0-1
- First inversionF–A♭–C♭–DDdim7/F1-2-0-1-0-1
- Second inversionA♭–C♭–D–FDdim7/A♭4-5-3-4-3-×
- Third inversionC♭–D–F–A♭Ddim7/C♭×-2-0-1-0-1
How do you play a D diminished 7th chord on guitar?
D diminished 7th is played in open position as × × 0 1 0 1: index finger on the G string at fret 1 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D and B strings ring open. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | C♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭3) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires muting two low strings while fretting two strings cleanly.
3rd fret
D diminished 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 3 4 3 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the G string at fret 4 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 2 | C♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
4th fret
D diminished 7th is played at the 4th fret as × 5 6 4 6 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 5, ring finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 2 | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | F (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭5) |
9th fret
D diminished 7th is played at the 9th fret as 10 11 9 10 9 ×: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the low E string at fret 10, pinky finger on the A string at fret 11 and ring finger on the G string at fret 10. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 2 | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
10th fret
D diminished 7th is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 12 10 12 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the A string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 3 | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 4 | C♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
Why it sounds like that
D diminished 7th stacks three minor 3rds on D: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. The diminished 5th between D and A♭ gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it with D minor 7th flat 5th, which raises the ♭♭7 to a ♭7.
What goes wrong with D diminished 7th?
- Letting the low E or A string ring, which adds non-chord tones.
- Flattening the index finger onto the B string, muting the open note.
- Pressing the middle finger too hard on the high E, causing the note to go sharp.
When to use it
D diminished 7th often functions as a leading-tone chord in E♭ major or E♭ minor, resolving to E♭ major or E♭ minor. Its tense sound suits classical cadences and jazz turnarounds. Try it before E♭ major or E♭ minor.
Changing to and from D diminished 7th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/c-dim-7-chord">C diminished 7th</a> by sliding the shape down two frets to the 1st fret.
- Shift to <a href="/guitar/e-flat-dim-7-chord">E♭ diminished 7th</a> by moving the fretted notes up one fret while keeping the open strings.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps D in the bass and is the easiest to play. The 9th fret barre version offers a higher register with the same bass note but more sustain.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D diminished 7th written?
D diminished 7th is written D°7 or Ddim7.
What is the difference between D diminished 7th and D minor 7th flat 5th?
D diminished 7th has a ♭♭7 (C♭), while D minor 7th flat 5th has a ♭7 (C). The diminished 7th chord is more dissonant and symmetrical.
Why does D diminished 7th sound unstable?
D diminished 7th contains two diminished 5th intervals, creating strong tension. The chord wants to resolve, usually to a chord a half step above one of its notes.