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D diminished major 7th chord on guitar (DdimMaj7)
Also called or written DdimMaj7, DdimM7, D°M7, D augmented minor seventh or D minor seventh sharp five
D diminished major 7th is built from D, F, A♭ and C♯. The open shape mutes the two lowest strings and uses a compact three-fret stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionD–F–A♭–C♯DdimMaj7×-×-0-1-2-1
- First inversionF–A♭–C♯–DDdimMaj7/F1-×-0-1-2-1
- Second inversionA♭–C♯–D–FDdimMaj7/A♭4-4-3-×-3-4
- Third inversionC♯–D–F–A♭DdimMaj7/C♯×-×-11-10-9-10
How do you play a D diminished major 7th chord on guitar?
D diminished major 7th is played in open position as × × 0 1 2 1: index finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings 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) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭3) |
AdvancedThe middle finger on the high e at fret 1 must arch cleanly over the ring finger on the B string at fret 2, while both lower strings stay muted.
5th fret
D diminished major 7th is played at the 5th fret as × 5 6 6 6 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 6, ring finger on the G string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 6. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 | D (1) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 3 | C♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | F (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
10th fret
D diminished major 7th is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 11 10 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 11, pinky finger on the D string at fret 11 and middle finger on the G string at fret 10. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
12th fret
D diminished major 7th is played at the 12th fret as × × 12 13 14 13: index finger on the D string at fret 12, middle finger on the G string at fret 13, pinky finger on the B string at fret 14 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 13. 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) | 12 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 3 | F (♭3) |
DdimM7/F inversion
D diminished major 7th is played in open position as 1 × 0 1 2 1: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1, pinky finger on the B string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 3 | F (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
D diminished major 7th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between D and A♭ creates a tritone, and the major 7th C♯ is the leading tone. Compare it to D minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to C.
What goes wrong with D diminished major 7th?
- Letting the A string ring open and muddy the bass.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the B string and muting the 5th.
When to use it
D diminished major 7th appears in D minor progressions as a passing chord, often moving to D minor or D major 7th. The leading tone C♯ pulls to D, so use it before a D major cadence. It suits dark folk and jazz ballads.
Changing to and from D diminished major 7th
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives E diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open shape keeps the bass on D and is the easiest to grab. The 5th fret shape repeats the voicing an octave higher, while the 12th fret adds a brighter register for solos.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D diminished major 7th written?
D diminished major 7th is written D°M7 or DdimM7.
What is the difference between D diminished major 7th and D minor 7th flat 5th?
D diminished major 7th has a major 7th, C♯. D minor 7th flat 5th lowers that note to C, giving a dominant-quality chord.
Why does D diminished major 7th sound so unstable?
The diminished 5th between D and A♭ creates a tritone, and the major 7th C♯ sits a semitone below the octave. Both intervals demand resolution.