D♭ / C♯ diminished seventh
How to play D♭dim7 — Diminished seventh
D♭dim7 (Diminished seventh)D♭ · F♭ · A♭♭ · C♭♭
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
D♭ / C♯ diminished seventh — notes and structure
The D♭dim7 chord is a symmetrical stack of minor thirds — maximally tense, it can resolve in four directions and is a favourite passing chord.
The D♭dim7 diminished seventh consists of the notes D♭, F♭, A♭♭, C♭♭. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
D♭dim7 stacks a minor third (F♭), a diminished fifth (A♭♭) and a diminished seventh (C♭♭) above the root D♭.
The finder shows 2 ways to play D♭dim7 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 5th fret. None of them need a barre.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the D♭ / C♯ diminished seventh chord?
- The D♭dim7 chord contains the notes D♭, F♭, A♭♭, C♭♭. It is a symmetrical stack of minor thirds — maximally tense, it can resolve in four directions and is a favourite passing chord.
- How many ways can you play D♭dim7 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is D♭dim7 a hard chord to play?
- It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.