Tools / Chords / C diminished major 7th

C diminished major 7th chord on ukulele (CdimMaj7)

Also written CdimMaj7, CdimM7 or C°M7

Ukulele · CdimM7/E♭ inversion · C on top

C diminished major 7th contains C, E♭, G♭, and B. The default CdimM7/E♭ inversion places the minor 3rd in the bass and requires a compact four-finger grip.

CdimM7/E♭ inversion · C on top4-3-2-3

Positions on the neck1 of 3

How it’s built

C1Root

E♭♭3Minor 3rd

G♭♭5Diminished 5th

B7Major 7th

Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7

Positions on the neck1 of 3

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionC–E♭–G♭–BCdimMaj7Bass C

First inversionE♭–G♭–B–CCdimMaj7/E♭Bass E♭

Second inversionG♭–B–C–E♭CdimMaj7/G♭Bass G♭

Third inversionB–C–E♭–G♭CdimMaj7/BBass B

Why it sounds like that

C diminished major 7th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The major 7th interval between C and B gives it a sharp leading tone. Compare it to C minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to B♭.

What goes wrong with C diminished major 7th?

Letting the pinky flatten and buzz the G string.
Muting the A string with the ring finger.

When to use it

C diminished major 7th works as a passing chord in C minor or C major contexts. Use it to lead into C minor or C major. Its tense sound suits jazz and gypsy minor lines.

Changing to and from C diminished major 7th

Sliding the shape down one fret to the 1st fret gives B diminished major 7th.
Sliding the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret gives C♯ diminished major 7th.

Which voicing to use

The CdimM7/E♭ inversion keeps the bass on E♭, which softens the root. The CdimM7/G♭ inversion puts the diminished 5th in the bass for a darker edge.

How do you play a C diminished major 7th chord on ukulele?

CdimM7/E♭ inversion · C on top

Intermediate● On the diagram

C diminished major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 4 3 2 3: pinky finger on the G string at fret 4, middle finger on the C string at fret 3, index finger on the E string at fret 2 and ring finger on the A string at fret 3.

Tip — The pinky must reach the 4th fret on the G string while the other fingers hold a close cluster.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	4	4	B (7)
3 (C)	3	2	E♭ (♭3)
2 (E)	2	1	G♭ (♭5)
1 (A)	3	3	C (1)

CdimM7/G♭ inversion

Intermediate

C diminished major 7th is played at the 5th fret as 5 6 7 6: index finger on the G string at fret 5, middle finger on the C string at fret 6, pinky finger on the E string at fret 7 and ring finger on the A string at fret 6.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	5	1	C (1)
3 (C)	6	2	G♭ (♭5)
2 (E)	7	4	B (7)
1 (A)	6	3	E♭ (♭3)

CdimM7/E♭ inversion · B on top

Barre

C diminished major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 5 3 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 5 and middle finger on the C string at fret 3.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	5	3	C (1)
3 (C)	3	2	E♭ (♭3)
2 (E)	2	1 (barre)	G♭ (♭5)
1 (A)	2	1 (barre)	B (7)

Common questions

How is C diminished major 7th written?

C diminished major 7th is written C°M7 or CdimM7. It is also called augmented minor seventh or minor seventh sharp five.

What is the difference between C diminished major 7th and C minor 7th flat 5th?

C diminished major 7th has a major 7th (B), while C minor 7th flat 5th has a minor 7th (B♭). That one semitone changes the chord's color completely.

Why does C diminished major 7th sound so tense?

C diminished major 7th contains a tritone between C and G♭ and a major 7th between C and B. Both intervals create strong dissonance that wants to resolve.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

B (7)

3 (C)

E♭ (♭3)

2 (E)

G♭ (♭5)

1 (A)

C (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

C (1)

3 (C)

G♭ (♭5)

2 (E)

B (7)

1 (A)

E♭ (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

C (1)

3 (C)

E♭ (♭3)

2 (E)

1 (barre)

G♭ (♭5)

1 (A)

1 (barre)

B (7)