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D diminished 7th chord on ukulele (Ddim7)
Also called or written Ddim7 or D°7
D diminished 7th is built from D, F, A♭, C♭. The 7th fret shape is a compact four-finger cluster that moves cleanly up and down the neck.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionD–F–A♭–C♭Ddim71-2-1-2
- First inversionF–A♭–C♭–DDdim7/F4-5-4-5
- Second inversionA♭–C♭–D–FDdim7/A♭7-8-7-8
- Third inversionC♭–D–F–A♭Ddim7/C♭10-11-10-11
How do you play a D diminished 7th chord on ukulele?
D diminished 7th is played at the 7th fret as 7 8 7 8: index finger on the G string at fret 7, ring finger on the C string at fret 8, middle finger on the E string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 1 | D (1) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 3 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 2 | C♭ (6) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 8 on the A string while the ring finger holds fret 8 on the C string, requiring a wide stretch.
Ddim7/C♭ inversion
D diminished 7th is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 10 11: index finger on the G string at fret 10, ring finger on the C string at fret 11, middle finger on the E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 1 | F (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 3 | C♭ (6) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 2 | D (1) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭5) |
1st fret
D diminished 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 1 2: index finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the C string at fret 2, middle finger on the E string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 3 | D (1) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | F (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 4 | C♭ (6) |
Ddim7/F inversion
D diminished 7th is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 4 5: index finger on the G string at fret 4, ring finger on the C string at fret 5, middle finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 1 | C♭ (6) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 3 | F (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (1) |
Why it sounds like that
D diminished 7th stacks minor thirds: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. The ♭♭7, C♭, sounds like B but is spelled as a diminished seventh to preserve the chord's structure. Compare it with D minor 7th flat 5th, which has a minor seventh instead.
What goes wrong with D diminished 7th?
- Letting the index finger mute the C string by lying flat.
- Pressing the pinky on the A string fret 8 without enough arch, deadening the E string.
- Strumming before all four fingers are firmly placed.
When to use it
D diminished 7th works as a passing chord between D minor 7th flat 5th and E minor. Its tense, symmetrical sound suits jazz turnarounds and dramatic pauses in ballads.
Changing to and from D diminished 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 6th fret gives C♯ diminished 7th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 8th fret gives E♭ diminished 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 7th fret voicing puts D in the bass, giving the most direct root-position sound. The Ddim7/F inversion at the 10th fret places F in the bass, which softens the chord's attack and works well when moving to an E chord.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D diminished 7th written?
D diminished 7th is written D°7 or Ddim7. The root is D. The chord is sometimes called D diminished seventh.
Why does D diminished 7th use C♭ instead of B?
The diminished seventh interval from D is C♭, not B. Spelling it C♭ keeps the chord's formula as 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. Using B would make the interval a major sixth.
How does D diminished 7th differ from D minor 7th flat 5th?
D minor 7th flat 5th has a minor seventh, C, while D diminished 7th has a diminished seventh, C♭. That one-semitone difference makes the diminished chord sound more tense and symmetrical.
Can I play D diminished 7th with a barre?
No, the 7th fret voicing uses four separate fingers. A barre would fret the G and E strings at fret 7, but you still need fingers for the C and A strings at fret 8.