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F♯ diminished 7th chord on guitar (F♯dim7)
Also called or written F♯dim7 or F♯°7
F♯ diminished 7th is built from F♯, A, C, and E♭. The open voicing uses a low F♯ on the 6th string and mutes the high E.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionF♯–A–C–E♭F♯dim72-0-1-2-1-×
- First inversionA–C–E♭–F♯F♯dim7/A×-0-1-2-1-2
- Second inversionC–E♭–F♯–AF♯dim7/C×-3-1-2-1-2
- Third inversionE♭–F♯–A–CF♯dim7/E♭×-×-1-2-1-2
How do you play an F♯ diminished 7th chord on guitar?
F♯ diminished 7th is played in open position as 2 0 1 2 1 ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 2 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The A string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 4 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires fretting four strings while muting the high E string cleanly.
1st fret
F♯ diminished 7th is played at the 1st fret as 2 3 1 2 1 ×: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3 and ring finger on the G string at fret 2. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
2nd fret
F♯ diminished 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 3 4 2 4 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the A string at fret 3, ring finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | E♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
4th fret
F♯ diminished 7th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 5 4 5: index finger on the D string at fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 5, middle finger on the B string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. 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) | 4 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 2 | E♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (♭3) |
7th fret
F♯ diminished 7th is played at the 7th fret as × 9 7 8 7 8: barre your index finger across fret 7, pinky finger on the A string at fret 9, middle finger on the G string at fret 8 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 2 | E♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 3 | C (♭5) |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ diminished 7th stacks three minor 3rds on F♯: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. The diminished 5th between F♯ and C gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it with F♯ minor 7th flat 5th, which has a ♭7 instead of a ♭♭7.
What goes wrong with F♯ diminished 7th?
- Letting the high E string ring, which adds a non-chord tone.
- Flattening the pinky onto the B string, muting the note.
- Pressing the ring finger too hard on the low E, causing the note to go sharp.
When to use it
F♯ diminished 7th often functions as a leading-tone chord in G major or G minor, resolving to G major or G minor. Its tense sound suits classical cadences and jazz turnarounds. Try it before G major or G minor.
Changing to and from F♯ diminished 7th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/g-dim-7-chord">G diminished 7th</a> by sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret.
- Shift to <a href="/guitar/a-flat-dim-7-chord">A♭ diminished 7th</a> by moving the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps F♯ in the bass and is the most compact. The 7th fret barre version offers a higher register with the same bass note but more sustain.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ diminished 7th written?
F♯ diminished 7th is written F♯°7 or F♯dim7. On a keyboard, use F# for the root. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between F♯ diminished 7th and F♯ minor 7th flat 5th?
F♯ diminished 7th has a ♭♭7 (E♭), while F♯ minor 7th flat 5th has a ♭7 (E). The diminished 7th chord is more dissonant and symmetrical.
Why does F♯ diminished 7th sound unstable?
F♯ 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.