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F diminished 7th chord on guitar (Fdim7)
Also called or written Fdim7 or F°7
F diminished 7th contains F, A♭, C♭ and E♭♭. The open shape uses all six strings and two open strings, making it a full-sounding grip.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionF–A♭–C♭–E♭♭Fdim71-2-0-1-0-1
- First inversionA♭–C♭–E♭♭–FFdim7/A♭4-5-3-4-3-×
- Second inversionC♭–E♭♭–F–A♭Fdim7/C♭×-2-0-1-0-1
- Third inversionE♭♭–F–A♭–C♭Fdim7/E♭♭×-×-0-1-0-1
How do you play an F diminished 7th chord on guitar?
F diminished 7th is played in open position as 1 2 0 1 0 1: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D and B strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 4 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | E♭♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | C♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 3 | F (1) |
AdvancedThe open shape requires stretching the pinky to the 2nd fret of the A string while the index finger holds the 1st fret on the low E.
Open · E♭♭ on top
F diminished 7th is played in open position as 1 2 0 1 3 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 3 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | E♭♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
1st fret
F diminished 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 3 1 3 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
3rd fret
F diminished 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × × 3 4 3 4: index finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 4, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. 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) | 3 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 3 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 2 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (♭3) |
6th fret
F diminished 7th is played at the 6th fret as × 8 6 7 6 7: barre your index finger across fret 6, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the G string at fret 7 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 7. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (1) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 2 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 3 | C♭ (♭5) |
Why it sounds like that
F diminished 7th is built from the intervals 1, ♭3, ♭5 and ♭♭7. The ♭♭7, a diminished seventh above the root, gives the chord its tense, symmetrical quality. Compare it with F minor 7th flat 5th, which has a minor seventh instead.
What goes wrong with F diminished 7th?
- Flattening the middle finger onto the B string and muting the open note.
- Arching the ring finger too low so it touches the B string.
- Not pressing the pinky hard enough, causing the A string to buzz.
When to use it
F diminished 7th often resolves to G minor or G major. It suits tense jazz and classical passages.
Changing to and from F diminished 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ diminished 7th.
- From G minor, move the index finger from the 3rd fret of the low E string to the 1st fret and add the pinky on the 2nd fret of the A string.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps the root F in the bass and is the default voicing. The 6th fret barre shape moves the root to the low E string for a darker sound.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F diminished 7th written?
F diminished 7th is written F°7 or Fdim7.
What is the difference between F diminished 7th and F minor 7th flat 5th?
F diminished 7th has a diminished seventh (E♭♭), while F minor 7th flat 5th has a minor seventh (E♭). The diminished seventh makes the chord fully diminished.
Why are all strings played in the open shape?
All open strings are chord tones of F diminished 7th, so no strings need to be muted.