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G diminished 7th chord on guitar (Gdim7)
Also called or written Gdim7 or G°7
G diminished 7th is built from G, B♭, D♭, and F♭. The open voicing uses all six strings with no muting.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionG–B♭–D♭–F♭Gdim73-1-2-0-2-0
- First inversionB♭–D♭–F♭–GGdim7/B♭×-1-2-0-2-0
- Second inversionD♭–F♭–G–B♭Gdim7/D♭×-4-2-3-2-3
- Third inversionF♭–G–B♭–D♭Gdim7/F♭0-1-2-0-2-0
How do you play a G diminished 7th chord on guitar?
G diminished 7th is played in open position as 3 1 2 0 2 0: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | F♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | F♭ (6) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires fretting four strings while keeping two open strings ringing clearly.
2nd fret
G diminished 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 3 4 2 3 2 ×: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the low E string at fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 4 and ring finger on the G string at fret 3. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 2 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 4 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♭ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
3rd fret
G diminished 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 5 3 5 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, middle finger on the A string at fret 4, ring finger on the D string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 3 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 4 | F♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
5th fret
G diminished 7th is played at the 5th fret as × × 5 6 5 6: index finger on the D string at fret 5, ring finger on the G string at fret 6, middle finger on the B string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. 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) | 5 | 1 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 2 | F♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (♭3) |
8th fret
G diminished 7th is played at the 8th fret as × 10 8 9 8 9: barre your index finger across fret 8, pinky finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the G string at fret 9 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 4 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 2 | F♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
Why it sounds like that
G diminished 7th stacks three minor 3rds on G: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. The diminished 5th between G and D♭ gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it with G minor 7th flat 5th, which has a ♭7 instead of a ♭♭7.
What goes wrong with G diminished 7th?
- Flattening the pinky onto the A string, muting the note.
- Pressing the index finger too hard on the A string, causing the note to go sharp.
- Letting the ring finger touch the high E string, muting the open note.
When to use it
G diminished 7th often functions as a leading-tone chord in A♭ major or A♭ minor, resolving to A♭ major or A♭ minor. Its tense sound suits classical cadences and jazz turnarounds. Try it before A♭ major or A♭ minor.
Changing to and from G diminished 7th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/f-sharp-dim-7-chord">F♯ diminished 7th</a> by sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret.
- Shift to <a href="/guitar/a-flat-dim-7-chord">A♭ diminished 7th</a> by moving the fretted notes up one fret while keeping the open strings.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps G in the bass and is the easiest to play. The 8th fret barre version offers a higher register with the same bass note but more sustain.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G diminished 7th written?
G diminished 7th is written G°7 or Gdim7.
What is the difference between G diminished 7th and G minor 7th flat 5th?
G diminished 7th has a ♭♭7 (F♭), while G minor 7th flat 5th has a ♭7 (F). The diminished 7th chord is more dissonant and symmetrical.
Why does G diminished 7th sound unstable?
G 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.