Explore chords · Ukulele
F diminished 7th chord on ukulele (Fdim7)
Also called or written Fdim7 or F°7
F diminished 7th is built from F, A♭, C♭, E♭♭. The 10th fret shape sits high enough to require clean finger placement on every string.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionF–A♭–C♭–E♭♭Fdim74-5-4-5
- First inversionA♭–C♭–E♭♭–FFdim7/A♭7-8-7-8
- Second inversionC♭–E♭♭–F–A♭Fdim7/C♭10-11-10-11
- Third inversionE♭♭–F–A♭–C♭Fdim7/E♭♭1-2-1-2
How do you play an F diminished 7th chord on ukulele?
F 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 (1) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 3 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 2 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 11 on the A string while the ring finger holds fret 11 on the C string, creating a wide stretch.
Fdim7/E♭♭ inversion
F 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♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 3 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | F (1) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 4 | C♭ (♭5) |
4th fret
F 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♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 3 | F (1) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 4 | E♭♭ (6) |
Fdim7/A♭ inversion
F 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 | E♭♭ (6) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 2 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F diminished 7th stacks minor thirds: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. The ♭♭7, E♭♭, sounds like D but is spelled as a diminished seventh to preserve the chord's structure. Compare it with F minor 7th flat 5th, which has a minor seventh instead.
What goes wrong with F diminished 7th?
- Letting the index finger collapse and mute the C string.
- Pressing the pinky on the A string fret 11 without enough arch, deadening the E string.
- Strumming before all four fingers are firmly placed.
When to use it
F diminished 7th works as a passing chord between F minor 7th flat 5th and G minor. Its tense, symmetrical sound suits jazz turnarounds and dramatic pauses in ballads.
Changing to and from F diminished 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives E diminished 7th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 11th fret gives F♯ diminished 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 10th fret voicing puts F in the bass, giving the most direct root-position sound. The Fdim7/A♭ inversion at the 1st fret places A♭ in the bass, which softens the chord's attack and works well when moving to a G chord.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F diminished 7th written?
F diminished 7th is written F°7 or Fdim7. The root is F. The chord is sometimes called F diminished seventh.
Why does F diminished 7th use E♭♭ instead of D?
The diminished seventh interval from F is E♭♭, not D. Spelling it E♭♭ keeps the chord's formula as 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. Using D would make the interval a major sixth.
How does F diminished 7th differ from F minor 7th flat 5th?
F minor 7th flat 5th has a minor seventh, E♭, while F diminished 7th has a diminished seventh, E♭♭. That one-semitone difference makes the diminished chord sound more tense and symmetrical.
Can I play F diminished 7th with a barre?
No, the 10th fret voicing uses four separate fingers. A barre would fret the G and E strings at fret 10, but you still need fingers for the C and A strings at fret 11.