A diminished major 7th chord on ukulele (AdimMaj7)

Why it sounds like that

A diminished major 7th stacks a minor 3rd, a diminished 5th, and a major 7th above A. The diminished 5th (A–E♭) and the major 7th (A–G♯) create its tense, leading-tone sound. Compare it to A minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to G.

What goes wrong with A diminished major 7th?

• The pinky flattens onto the A string, deadening it.
• The index finger presses too hard, bending the G string sharp.
• The middle finger touches the E string, muffling the high G♯.

When to use it

A diminished major 7th works as a passing chord between A major and A minor, or as a dramatic substitution for A major 7th in jazz ballads. Its leading tone G♯ pulls strongly to A, so use it right before an A major or A minor resolution.

Changing to and from A diminished major 7th

• Sliding the shape down one fret to the 1st fret gives A♭ diminished major 7th.
• Sliding the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret gives B♭ diminished major 7th.

Which voicing to use

The 2nd fret voicing puts A in the bass, giving a root-position sound with the diminished 5th E♭ on top. This shape is the only position shown, so use it whenever you need the chord's full tension.