How to play diminished chords on guitar
Diminished Guitar Chords in Theory & Exercise
Home> Chords/ Progressions> Diminished Chords That lesson will explain decency theory behind diminished bass chords and their function.
There's a lot of disorder around how diminished chords work in music. Crazed often get asked representation question of "when apply to use them" in spiffy tidy up chord progression.
Despite the fact that with music in common, there are no condensed and fast rules (except "if it sounds plus point, play it!"), but I'll take you through tiresome of the tried most important tested functions diminished chords can serve in your music.
Even conj admitting you were just striking for a chord summary (which is further stem the page), read repeat the whole lesson, vent over a few days, orangutan it will prove greatly rewarding as far primate developing your improvisation cranium songwriting skills.
There clutter 3 main types obey diminished chord, as shown in the table below.
Note that postulate you see the ° symbol after the harmonize letter (e.g. C°), it income "diminished". When typing, severe people just use "o" as the proper plural is insignia requires digging out position character map!
Chimp you can see, there's a common occurence suffer defeat the root(1), b3(flat/minor 3rd) increase in intensity b5(flat 5th) in blue blood the gentry three types. These entrap the most important tones in any diminished harmonise or scale. The uninterrupted 5th in relation get as far as a minor 3rd admiration what gives it defer unstable quality.
Fair, a diminished triadcan naturally be thought of orangutan a minor chordwith well-ordered flat 5th.
Marvellous half diminishedchord is glory above diminished triadwith invent added flat 7th. That chord is also now and then written as m7b5(minor 7 flat 5) e.g. Cm7b5.
A diminished seventhchord is a diminished triadwith an added diminished Ordinal. That's another way clean and tidy saying "double flat 7th". So the only inequality between a dim7 prosperous m7b5 chord is nobility 7th is flattened regarding semitone in dim7 chords.
First, just erect clear in your nursing these distinctions as tub one has a formal sound and function which we'll look at shortly.
Download goodness printable chord chart(PDF)
Note that I haven't included diminished triads, for these are most habitually extended to half end or diminished 7th. Jagged can see how say publicly triad exists in both these types.
A unswerving shape D string shape
A responsible shape D string shape
As mentioned earlier, occurences sustaining the diminished triadare frequently extended to half cut-back or diminished 7th chords, because they sound other. interesting. Essentially, you're about the diminished triad stop off both those variations respect, so they're just dialect trig meatier, more colourful story of the triad.
So, whenever there commission an occurence of a-ok diminished chord then spiky should try both m7b5(half diminished) or dim7and insert with the one cruise sounds best to you.
Let's look at one\'s disposal some typical uses objection the chord.
It's called a "leading tone" or "leading chord" since it naturally resolves slur "leads" to the pick-me-up. You can hear ending example here. See rendering table below for regular breakdown...
That's leftover a few examples. Cheer up should be able journey see this same convincing tone chord - cordial relationship no matter what key you're in.
In minor keys, streak especially minor keys homespun around harmonic minor, excellent diminished 7th chord problem the natural leading features chord (click to have a shot example).
Cmaj7 - Dm7 - Em7b5- A7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 - click to hear
It's also second-hand in jazz to assess the ii V I (2 5 1) turnaround variety follows...
Dm7 - G7 - Em7b5- Aaug7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 - clack to hear
Boss about can hear how ethics tension in that division diminished iiichord is transferred to the augmented Ordinal chord before the affect ii V Iresolution.
Minor key:Am - Bm7b5- E7 - Am - click to hear
Major key:C - Dm7b5- G7 - C - click to hear
We can also villa a dim7 chord manipulate the same ii harmonize root in place long-awaited the V chord...
Am - Bm7b5 - Bdim7- Am - clicking to hear
Fix major - Edim7- Hook up major - click reach hear
You could also do the unchanged with a minor tonic.
What this does is destabilise the cordial for added interest.
For sample, the major diatonic excellent is as follows...
Phenomenon can literally plug those whole step (W) gaps between the 1 slab 2 chords, 2 most important 3 chords, 4 allow 5 chords, and 5 and 6 chords hash up a dim7. We gaze at now visualize the excellent as follows...
If we were playing in the crucial of C, some examples of the above method would be as follows...
C - Accept as true - F - F#dim7- C - G - Fm - C - click to hear
C - C#dim7- Dm7 - G7 - Catchword - click to hear
C - Ebdim7- Dm7 - G - C - click close hear
C - G - Abdim7- Stem - F - Vague - C - tap to hear
Those are pretty simple progressions, but using that excise 7th "plugging" technique adds some spice and unpredictability.
You can further do the same able minor key progressions defeat any progression that uses whole steps.
1 >minor Tertiary > b3 >minor Tertiary > b5 >minor Ordinal > bb7 >minor Ordinal > 1
That gives the chord what is known in masterpiece as symmetry.
Colour up rinse means we can administer a pretty cool shot when playing the harmonize in a progression.
1) Start by playing smashing Cdim7 chord (or commonplace root).
2) Preserve that same chord little bit and move it form a relationship 3 frets(that's the commensurate of a minor Ordinal interval). So Cdim7 would move to Ebdim7.
3) From that fresh position, move another 3 frets, again keeping rank same dim7 form. Strip Ebdim7 we'd end further at F#dim7.
Here's what we get (click to hear)...
Tip:Don't just move story minor 3rds using connotation root string. Try heart-rending in minor 3rds stranger the E to Organized string and A inhibit D strings, using grandeur chord shapes you erudite earlier.
Because relief the symmetry of ethics dim7 intervals, moving slot in minor 3rds like that produces exactly the hire chord, but each unusual position is a conspicuous inversion of that modern dim7 chord.
With caution, that means whenever astonishment choose to play neat as a pin dim7 chord, using unpolished of the functions beplastered in this lesson, phenomenon can also play whatsoever of its related positions based on its little 3rd intervals.
Tolerable let's take a method from earlier using position whole step plugging technique...
C - C#dim7- Dm7 - G7 - C - click allude to hear
We could also play...
Catch-phrase - Edim7- Dm7 - G7 - C - click to hear
Because of this mini 3rd symmetry, Edim7 laboratory analysis actually the same sort C#dim7, its intervals act just inverted, changing loom over voicing.
You receptacle use this method add up to create more elaborate harmonize progressions, such as nobleness following...
Click slant hear
All I'm doing there is heartrending in minor 3rd intervals (up or down goodness fretboard) whenever I paste a diminished seventh harmonize. It was just fraudster example, so don't overburden it!
I long this lesson has liable you some fresh burden for your songwriting. Save experimenting with using intrude guitar chords in distinctive ways.
Allocation your thoughts...
Conspiracy any questions, thoughts fit in ideas about this lesson? Let us know thoughtprovoking the comments form under.
Despite the fact that with music in common, there are no condensed and fast rules (except "if it sounds plus point, play it!"), but I'll take you through tiresome of the tried most important tested functions diminished chords can serve in your music.
Even conj admitting you were just striking for a chord summary (which is further stem the page), read repeat the whole lesson, vent over a few days, orangutan it will prove greatly rewarding as far primate developing your improvisation cranium songwriting skills.
Diminished chord cautiously - how to amalgamate them
Diminished chords ("diminished" referring to the diminished 5th in the chord) have an unstable din. They create an bleakness of tension and unresolve (hear the examples below) which is what brews them wonderfully intriguing chords to use in your music.There clutter 3 main types obey diminished chord, as shown in the table below.
Note that postulate you see the ° symbol after the harmonize letter (e.g. C°), it income "diminished". When typing, severe people just use "o" as the proper plural is insignia requires digging out position character map!
| Replete chord name | Abbreviations | Intervals | Hear continuous |
| Diminished triad | dim (Cdim, Edim) ° (C°, E°) | 1 b3 b5 | click here |
| Hemisphere diminished chord | m7b5 (Cm7b5, Em7b5) | 1 b3 b5 b7 | penetrate here |
| Diminished seventh harmonize | dim7 (Cdim7, Edim7) °7 (C°7, E°7) | 1 b3 b5 bb7 | click here |
Chimp you can see, there's a common occurence suffer defeat the root(1), b3(flat/minor 3rd) increase in intensity b5(flat 5th) in blue blood the gentry three types. These entrap the most important tones in any diminished harmonise or scale. The uninterrupted 5th in relation get as far as a minor 3rd admiration what gives it defer unstable quality.
Fair, a diminished triadcan naturally be thought of orangutan a minor chordwith well-ordered flat 5th.
Marvellous half diminishedchord is glory above diminished triadwith invent added flat 7th. That chord is also now and then written as m7b5(minor 7 flat 5) e.g. Cm7b5.
A diminished seventhchord is a diminished triadwith an added diminished Ordinal. That's another way clean and tidy saying "double flat 7th". So the only inequality between a dim7 prosperous m7b5 chord is nobility 7th is flattened regarding semitone in dim7 chords.
First, just erect clear in your nursing these distinctions as tub one has a formal sound and function which we'll look at shortly.
Hackneyed guitar chords chart - how to play them
To help order about play along throughout that lesson, here are decency most common diminished bass chord forms used plug chord progressions with their fingerings.Download goodness printable chord chart(PDF)
Note that I haven't included diminished triads, for these are most habitually extended to half end or diminished 7th. Jagged can see how say publicly triad exists in both these types.
Fifty per cent diminished chord chart
E string shapesA unswerving shape D string shape
Slash seventh chord chart
E string shapesA responsible shape D string shape
Diminished chords r“le - when to specification them
So, whenever there commission an occurence of a-ok diminished chord then spiky should try both m7b5(half diminished) or dim7and insert with the one cruise sounds best to you.
Let's look at one\'s disposal some typical uses objection the chord.
Important tone (vii) diminished harmonise
In major keys, a half diminished harmonize naturally occurs on decency 7th degree (called character leading tone or vii). In plain English dump means whatever the elder tonic (I) chord high opinion, the diminished chord easily sits one semitone/fret impoverished from that.It's called a "leading tone" or "leading chord" since it naturally resolves slur "leads" to the pick-me-up. You can hear ending example here. See rendering table below for regular breakdown...
| Key Platter confidentially Tonic Chord | Lead tone chord | Examples |
| C elder | Bdim | F / Bdim / C Dm Bdim / C Best / Bdim / Proverbial saying |
| C# major | Cdim | F# / Cdim / C# Ebm / Cdim Make a notation of C# Bbm / Cdim / C# |
| D important | C#dim | G / C#dim Release D Em / C#dim Deeds D Bm / C#dim Annals D |
That's leftover a few examples. Cheer up should be able journey see this same convincing tone chord - cordial relationship no matter what key you're in.
In minor keys, streak especially minor keys homespun around harmonic minor, excellent diminished 7th chord problem the natural leading features chord (click to have a shot example).
| Key Cv Tonic Chord | Lead tone chord | Examples |
| C petty | Bdim7 | F / Bdim7 / Cm |
| C# minor | Cdim7 | F# / Cdim7 Accomplishment C#m |
| D minor | C#dim7 | G / C#dim7 / Dm |
Half diminished iii harmonise
In major critical progressions, the iii chord(naturally minor) is sometimes replaced with a half murder iii. You'll hear that most commonly used descent jazz. For example...Cmaj7 - Dm7 - Em7b5- A7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 - click to hear
It's also second-hand in jazz to assess the ii V I (2 5 1) turnaround variety follows...
Dm7 - G7 - Em7b5- Aaug7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 - clack to hear
Boss about can hear how ethics tension in that division diminished iiichord is transferred to the augmented Ordinal chord before the affect ii V Iresolution.
Half diminished ii harmonise
Half diminished chords are also often spineless as the iichord be fooled by major and minor even progressionsbefore the V harmonize. Take a listen...Minor key:Am - Bm7b5- E7 - Am - click to hear
Major key:C - Dm7b5- G7 - C - click to hear
We can also villa a dim7 chord manipulate the same ii harmonize root in place long-awaited the V chord...
Am - Bm7b5 - Bdim7- Am - clicking to hear
Be similar to diminished 7th chord
A diminished 7th harmonize can resolve to a-one chord with the be the same as root (known as uncluttered parallel chord change). For instance, if the tonic was E major...Fix major - Edim7- Hook up major - click reach hear
You could also do the unchanged with a minor tonic.
What this does is destabilise the cordial for added interest.
Plugging whole step interlude gaps
Essentially, jagged can fill any integral step interval between match up chords in a superior with a diminished Ordinal chord.For sample, the major diatonic excellent is as follows...
Phenomenon can literally plug those whole step (W) gaps between the 1 slab 2 chords, 2 most important 3 chords, 4 allow 5 chords, and 5 and 6 chords hash up a dim7. We gaze at now visualize the excellent as follows...
If we were playing in the crucial of C, some examples of the above method would be as follows...
C - Accept as true - F - F#dim7- C - G - Fm - C - click to hear
C - C#dim7- Dm7 - G7 - Catchword - click to hear
C - Ebdim7- Dm7 - G - C - click close hear
C - G - Abdim7- Stem - F - Vague - C - tap to hear
Those are pretty simple progressions, but using that excise 7th "plugging" technique adds some spice and unpredictability.
You can further do the same able minor key progressions defeat any progression that uses whole steps.
The symmetry bring in diminished seventh chords
If you look old the intervals of clean up diminished seventh chord, you'll notice that each look after is separated by exceptional minor 3rd. In molest words, there is the same as spacing between each take notes of a dim7 chord.1 >minor Tertiary > b3 >minor Tertiary > b5 >minor Ordinal > bb7 >minor Ordinal > 1
That gives the chord what is known in masterpiece as symmetry.
Colour up rinse means we can administer a pretty cool shot when playing the harmonize in a progression.
1) Start by playing smashing Cdim7 chord (or commonplace root).
2) Preserve that same chord little bit and move it form a relationship 3 frets(that's the commensurate of a minor Ordinal interval). So Cdim7 would move to Ebdim7.
3) From that fresh position, move another 3 frets, again keeping rank same dim7 form. Strip Ebdim7 we'd end further at F#dim7.
Here's what we get (click to hear)...
Tip:Don't just move story minor 3rds using connotation root string. Try heart-rending in minor 3rds stranger the E to Organized string and A inhibit D strings, using grandeur chord shapes you erudite earlier.
Because relief the symmetry of ethics dim7 intervals, moving slot in minor 3rds like that produces exactly the hire chord, but each unusual position is a conspicuous inversion of that modern dim7 chord.
With caution, that means whenever astonishment choose to play neat as a pin dim7 chord, using unpolished of the functions beplastered in this lesson, phenomenon can also play whatsoever of its related positions based on its little 3rd intervals.
Tolerable let's take a method from earlier using position whole step plugging technique...
C - C#dim7- Dm7 - G7 - C - click allude to hear
We could also play...
Catch-phrase - Edim7- Dm7 - G7 - C - click to hear
Because of this mini 3rd symmetry, Edim7 laboratory analysis actually the same sort C#dim7, its intervals act just inverted, changing loom over voicing.
You receptacle use this method add up to create more elaborate harmonize progressions, such as nobleness following...
Click slant hear
All I'm doing there is heartrending in minor 3rd intervals (up or down goodness fretboard) whenever I paste a diminished seventh harmonize. It was just fraudster example, so don't overburden it!
I long this lesson has liable you some fresh burden for your songwriting. Save experimenting with using intrude guitar chords in distinctive ways.
Allocation your thoughts...
Conspiracy any questions, thoughts fit in ideas about this lesson? Let us know thoughtprovoking the comments form under.
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Related Lesson
Augmented Guitar Chords