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G diminished major 7th chord on guitar (GdimMaj7)
Also called or written GdimMaj7, GdimM7, G°M7, G augmented minor seventh or G minor seventh sharp five
G diminished major 7th is built from G, B♭, D♭ and F♯. The 3rd fret shape mutes the two highest strings and uses a compact four-fret span.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionG–B♭–D♭–F♯GdimMaj73-4-4-3-×-×
- First inversionB♭–D♭–F♯–GGdimMaj7/B♭×-1-×-0-2-2
- Second inversionD♭–F♯–G–B♭GdimMaj7/D♭×-4-4-3-×-3
- Third inversionF♯–G–B♭–D♭GdimMaj7/F♯×-×-4-3-2-3
How do you play a G diminished major 7th chord on guitar?
G diminished major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 4 3 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 4, pinky finger on the D string at fret 4 and middle finger on the G string at fret 3. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 4 | F♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 2 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe pinky on the D string at fret 4 must arch cleanly over the ring finger on the A string, while the B and high e strings stay muted.
5th fret
G diminished major 7th is played at the 5th fret as × × 5 6 7 6: index finger on the D string at fret 5, middle finger on the G string at fret 6, pinky finger on the B string at fret 7 and ring 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 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 4 | F♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
10th fret
G diminished major 7th is played at the 10th fret as × 10 11 11 11 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 3 | F♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
GdimM7/B♭ inversion · open position
G diminished major 7th is played in open position as × 1 × 0 2 2: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The G string rings open. The low E and D strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (7) |
GdimM7/B♭ inversion · fret 5
G diminished major 7th is played at the 5th fret as 6 × 5 6 7 ×: middle finger on the low E string at fret 6, index finger on the D string at fret 5, ring finger on the G string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 7. The A and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 4 | F♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
G diminished major 7th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between G and D♭ creates a tritone, and the major 7th F♯ is the leading tone. Compare it to G minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to F.
What goes wrong with G diminished major 7th?
- Letting the B string ring open and clash with the chord.
- Flattening the pinky onto the G string and muting the ♭3.
When to use it
G diminished major 7th works as a passing chord in G minor, often moving to G minor or G major 7th. The leading tone F♯ pulls to G, so use it before a G major cadence. It suits dark jazz and film-score tension.
Changing to and from G diminished major 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret shape keeps the bass on G and is the default. The 5th fret shape repeats the voicing an octave higher, while the 10th fret adds a brighter register for solos.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G diminished major 7th written?
G diminished major 7th is written G°M7 or GdimM7.
What is the difference between G diminished major 7th and G minor 7th flat 5th?
G diminished major 7th has a major 7th, F♯. G minor 7th flat 5th lowers that note to F, creating a dominant-quality chord.
Why does G diminished major 7th sound so tense?
The diminished 5th between G and D♭ creates a tritone, and the major 7th F♯ rubs against the root. Together they produce a strong leading-tone pull.