C# diminished chord types from D major

Most players are probably familiar with a diminished triad and the half-diminished 7th chords, but the minor 11 flat 5 is probably only known by jazz players. Here are the 3 C# diminished chords from the D major scale:

dim triad intervals: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th = R-m3-d5 = 1-♭3-♭5
Alternate symbol: ^o, for example, C#^o
C#dim or C#^o = C#-E-G

m7♭5 chord intervals: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th = R-m3-d5-m7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7
Alternate symbol: ^ø7, for example, F#^ø7
Chord equivalent = m6 on the ♭3
C#m7♭5 or C#^ø7 = C#-E-G-B = Em6

m11♭5 chord intervals: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, perfect 4th/11th = R-m3-d5-P4 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-11
Chord equivalent = m6 add9 on the ♭3, 7sus ♭9 on the 4th
C#m11♭5 = C#-E-G-B-F# = Em6 add9 = F#7sus ♭9

The strongest tendency for all 3 chords is to the tonic chord D major in whatever form it takes: D, D6. D6 add9, Dmaj7, etc. B minor would follow those chords nicely as well.

15 Open C# diminished guitar chord shapes

I’m really starting to love all diminished chords as they are easier to hold and have a nastier sound to them. All three of these C sharp diminished chords are really just rootless A dominant 7th chords. Check out my article on Dominant 7th Substitutes for insights into these 3 chords.

If you would like to learn the closed chord voicings for all the diminished chord types, then take a look at my Diminished Triad article.

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

C sharp diminished triad

I like all of the voicings except for the first one. My favorite one is #3 even though it only has one open string.

C#m7♭5 open guitar chords

The first voicing is okay but it is too close to the common Em6 chord and #2 is difficult to hold. My preferred voicings are #’s 4, 5 and 7.

 

C#m11♭5 open guitar chords

Chord #’s 1 and 2 sound identical but you can choose one over the other given where you are playing on the neck. Number 3 is the best one IMO.

 

Songs that use C sharp diminished chords

Here are some songs that use C# diminished chors:

Beatles: Michelle, Strawberry Fields Forever (C#dim)
Grateful Dead: Cosmic Charlie, France (C#m7♭5)

Check my Diminished Chords article for more song examples that use diminished chords.

 

Final Thoughts

If you are a blues player then you want to learn as many diminished chords as possible. You would use the various C sharp diminished chords above for the 1 chord in A blues. Check out the Wikipedia page on the diminished triad for more information if you like these types of chords.

The post C Sharp Diminished Guitar Chords (D Major Scale) appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

Diminished modes from common scales

If you are reading this article, then I’m sure you are aware of the Locrian mode built on the 7th scale degree of the major scale. A more advanced diminished scale is the Fully Diminished scale (half-step/whole-step). I briefly cover those two scales in my Diminished Modes, Chords & Scale article.

I want to focus on the diminished modes that come from the Melodic & Harmonic minor scales.

Take note of the different 7th chords that each diminished mode builds. All possible diminished 7th chords can be built from these modes. If you do not understand the notation for the intervals in the tables below, then take a look at my Music Intervals article.

Here are all the possible diminished chords that you can build from the harmonic & melodic minor scales:

diminished triad (dim, ^o)
Chord intervals: R-m3-d5 = 1-♭3-♭5
Chord tendency: Resolves best to a major or minor chord up a half-step, e.g. C#dim > D or Dm
Scales/Modes: all diminished scales & modes build a diminished triad

Fully diminished 7th (dim7,^o7)
Chord intervals: R-m3-d5-d7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭♭7
Chord tendency: Resolves best to a major or minor chord up a half-step on each chord tone, e.g. C#dim7 (C#-E-G-B♭) > D/Dm, F/Fm, A♭/A♭m, and B/Bm.
Scales/Modes: 2nd, 4th, 6th & 7th scale degrees of the harmonic minor scale

Half-diminished 7th (m7♭5,^ø7)
Chord intervals: R-m3-d5-m7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7
Chord tendency: Resolves best to a major or minor chord up a half-step, e.g. C#m7b5 > D or Dm
Scales/Modes: 2nd & 4th scale degrees harmonic minor, 6th & 7th scale degree melodic minor

Minor 9 flat 5 (m9♭5)
Chord intervals: R-m3-d5-m7-M9 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-9
Chord tendency: Resolves best up a half-step (major & minor), to the root minor, and to the perfect 5th minor, e.g. Gm9♭5 > A♭, A♭m, Gm and Dm
Scales/Modes: 4th scale degree harmonic minor, 6th scale degree melodic minor

Minor 11 flat 5 (m11♭5)
Chord intervals: R-m3-d5-m7-P4 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-11
Chord tendency: Resolves best to a major or minor chord up a half-step, e.g. C#m11b5 > D or Dm
Scales/Modes: 2nd scale degree harmonic minor, 6th scale degree melodic minor

Minor major 7 flat 5 (m-maj7♭5)
Chord intervals: R-m3-d5-M7 = 1-♭3-♭5-7
Chord tendency: Same as m9♭5
Scales/Modes: 6th degree harmonic minor

Three of those chords are commonly seen in music (dim, dim7, m7♭5) but the other three are rarely seen.

Harmonic minor scale diminished modes

The harmonic minor differs from the natural minor by a single note. The 7th scale degree of the harmonic minor is a major 7th but that interval is a minor seventh in the natural minor scale. For D natural minor the minor 7th is the note C, but it is C# for the harmonic and melodic minor scales.

Here are the intervals in the D harmonic minor scale (D-E-F-G-A-B♭-C#) followed by the intervals and notes in the 4 diminished modes:

E Locrian M6 diminished chords:

Edim= E-G-B♭
Edim7 = E-G-B♭-C#
Em7♭5 = E-G-B♭-D
Em11♭5 = E-G-B♭-D-A

G Dorian #11 diminished chords:

Gdim = G-B♭-D♭
Gdim7 = G-B♭-D♭-E
Gm7♭5 = G-B♭-D♭-F
Gm9♭5 = G-B♭-D♭-F-A

B♭ Lydian #9 diminished chords:

B♭dim = B♭-D♭-F
B♭dim7 = B♭-D♭-F-G
B♭m-maj7♭5 = B♭-D♭-F-A

C# Ultra Locrian diminished chords:

C#dim = C#-E-G
C#dim7 = C#-E-G-B♭

Notes on two Harmonic minor diminished modes

The Dorian #11 mode is considered a minor mode and the Lydian #9 mode is considered major mode. But you have to understand a few things.

1. First, some scales give you the option to choose different scale degrees.
   So you can have a different 3rd, 5th or 7th scale degree.
2. For some of these chords, the scale degrees change to their enharmonic equivalent, for example, D♭ vs C# in the B♭ diminished chords.
3. The note that is the diminished 7th is actually the major 6th for the first 3 dim7 chords. Those diminished modes also have either a m7 or M7 interval.
4. Also, since the dim7 chord is a symmetrical chord. That means that every chord tone builds a diminished 7th chord.

Hopefully, that wasn’t too confusing. You’lpl come to understand it in time.

Melodic minor scale diminished modes

The melodic minor differs by 2 notes from the natural minor scale. The B♭ and C in D natural minor become B and C# in D melodic minor.

Here are the intervals in the D melodic minor scale (D-E-F-G-A-B♭-C#) followed by the intervals and notes in the 2 diminished modes:

B Locrian M2 diminished chords:

Bdim = B-D-F
Bm7♭5 = B-D-F-A
Bm9♭5 = B-D-F-A-C#
Bm11♭5 = B-D-F-A-E

C# Super Locrian diminished chords:

C#dim = C#-E-G
C#m7♭5 = C#-E-G-B

How to use the diminished modes and chords built from them

I personally do not play diminished modes or scales with the exception of the Locrian pentatonic scale. I’m more interested in chords so I try to keep my scales to a minimum. However, if you are more of a scale player, then definitely try any of the diminished modes above for some exotic riffs.

Since diminished chords rarely last more than a measure, I’ll just play an arpeggio of the diminished chord or a related dominant 7th chord.

I use the diminished chords as substitutes for dominant 7th chords. That is the main use for me. I cover dominant 7th substitutions in my article The Diminished Chord. But you should also read my Altered 7ths article for some interesting insights into diminished chords.

Finally, you can use any of the diminished chords above in any of the 3 minor scales to easily modulate to other keys. You want to pay attention to the tritones or just know the chord tendency.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to using “complex” or non-standard chords, I focus on the overall sound or the resolution tendency of the chord. All diminished chords function as dominant 7th chords and resolve best to the tonic of the scale. Since they tend to rootless dom7 chords they are easier to hold.

Then there is the tendency for some diminished chords to easily modulate to other keys. If you have already established the sound of a diminished chord in a song, then modulating to a new key is a fluid process. Take a look at the Wikipedia page on the Minor Scale for insights into the three minor scales. Otherwise, put those diminished modes and chords to good use.

The post Diminished Modes of the Melodic & Harmonic Minor Scale appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

The Locrian Diminished Chord

There are two chords built on the 7th scale degree of the major scale that are common in popular music. The diminished triad and the half-diminished chord also called minor 7 flat 5 chord. In actually, those 2 chords are rare in some genres but you do see them in rock and blues.

The other common diminished chord is the fully diminished chord or dim7. You can not build that chord from the major scale so I won’t be covering it here.

The 3rd Locrian diminished chord: m11♭5

There is another diminished chord worth covering that can be built from the Locrian mode: the minor 11 flat 5 (m11♭5). Believe me, you will most likely never see the m11♭5 chord. However, it is in the song  “If You Really Love Me” by Stevie Wonder. I cover why this chord is worth considering in my Altered Chords article, but here is a simple breakdown on all 3 chords:

Dim triad = substitute for the V7 chord (e.g., Bdim for G7)

m7♭5 = substitute for the V9 chord (Bm7♭5 for G9)

m11♭5 = substitute for the V9/13 chord (Bm11♭5 for G9/13)

The dominant 9/13 is usually notated as a 13 chord but it includes the 9. And it’s always shown without the perfect 5th. If you play that chord with the 5th but drop the root, then it equals the m11♭5 chord.

If you play the B Blues scale without the perfect 5th (B Locrian pentatonic) it equals the notes in a Bm11♭5 chord. The take away here is that you can play the B Locrian pentatonic or the Bm11♭5 chord in place of a G7 dominant chord.

So a great substitute for a dom9 or dom13 chord is the blues scale without the P5 (Locrian pentatonic) on the major third of the dom7 chord. So B Locrian pentatonic instead of G7 to resolve to C, Cmaj7, C6, etc.

Here are some closed diminished chord shapes and my chord symbol diagram for reference:

 

All of these chords are great dominant 7th substitutions. Some of them are excellent for moving to other positions for chord partials and guitar licks. Hopefully, you can see the minor shapes and major 6th intervals. If you know the other triads from the major scale, then you should know how to use those shapes. The m11♭5 chord though is a little harder to apply.

The 6 best major keys for open chords

The open strings on the guitar are tuned to E, A, D, G, B, and E (standard tuning). The best major scale keys that use open chords are C, G, and D major. They are the only major scale keys that contain the notes, E, A, D, G, & B.

The next 3 major scales that are great for open chords are F major, A major and E major each with “avoid” strings:

F major: the perfect 4th is B♭ so the open B string has to be fretted or muted.

A major: the major 7th is G# so the open G has to be fretted or muted unless you are playing A blues.

E major: the major 3rd is G# and the major 7th is D# so the open G and D strings have to be fretted or muted unless you are playing E blues.

Since my site is based around guitar chords, and I prefer open chords, they are the only 6 keys I cover in this article. And by the way, the open B string is the ♭5 for F so you can use that string in F major blues songs. STOPPED

C major: B Locrian diminished chord

Here are the three diminished chords for B Locrian compared to three G7 dominant chords in 1st inversion. Are you familiar with chord inversions? Simply put, chord inversions refer to having a chord tone other than the root note in the bass. Fist inversion chords have the 3rd of the chord in the bass, which is B for G major chords.

B-D-F = 1-♭3-♭5 = B dim
B-D-F-G = 3-5-♭7-1 = G7 1st inversion

B-D-F-A =1-♭3-♭5-♭7 = Bm7♭5
B-D-F-A-G = 3-5-♭7-9-1 = G9 1st inversion

B-D-F-A-E = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-11 = Bm11♭5 = B Locrian pentatonic = B Blues scale no fifth
B-D-F-A-E-G = 3-5-♭7-9-13-1 = G9/13 1st inversion

Do you see it? The relationship between the vii dim chords and the V7 chords? You can just skip the diminished chords and play the dominant 7th chords. However, the diminished chords have 1 less note and therefore are easier to hold.

Here are my two favorite open B diminished chords:

But what does that mean? Diminished chords and scale guitar tricks

The trick, or hack, that a lot of guitar players use is to substitute the diminished chords for dominant 7th chords. Plus there is the benefit of creating licks from the diminished chord shapes. Since diminished chords are easier to hold than their dom7 counterparts, you have an extra finger or two for embellishments.

Here is a simple lick that starts on a Bdim triad and goes to a partial C add9 chord.

Check out the 1st m7♭5 chord shape above. The ♭5, ♭7 and ♭3 of the chord shape is a minor triad or a 6 chord without the 5th. If that was a Bm7♭5, then those notes would be F-A-D which is a Dm chord (F6 no 5).

Try sliding that shape up a whole step for a G6 chord without the 5th. That riff sounds great. So that would be a Bdim chord substituting for a G9 chord then slide it up for a G6 and you’re still on a G chord. That’s just one example of the versatility of diminished chords!

G major: F# Locrian diminished chords

The diminished chords in G major are F#dim, F#m7♭5, and F#m11♭5, which can substitute for D7, D9, and D9/13. The F#dim chord is limited with only the open A string, but the other 2 chords have better open chord options.

F#-A-C = F# dim
F#-A-C-D = D7

F#-A-C-E = F#m7♭5
F#-A-C-E-D = D9

F#-A-C-E-B = F#m11♭5
F#-A-C-E-B-D = D9/13

D major: C# diminished chords

The diminished chords in D major are C#dim, C#m7♭5, and C#m11♭5, which can substitute for A7, A9, and A9/13. There are plenty of open strings in these chords.

C#-E-G = C# dim
C#-E-G-A = A7

C#-E-G-B = C#m7♭5
C#-E-G-B-A = A9

C#-E-G-B-F# = C#m11♭5
C#-E-G-B-F#-A = A9/13

Here is a riff going from an A7 chord to a C#dim.

A major: G# diminished chords

The diminished chords in A major are G#dim, G#m7♭5, and G#m11♭5, which can substitute for E7, E9, and E9/13. The only open strings available for the G#dim chords are the B and D strings.

G#-B-D = G# dim
G#-B-D-E = E7

G#-B-D-F# = G#m7♭5
G#-B-D-F#-E = E9

G#-B-D-F#-C# = G#m11♭5
G#-B-D-F#-C#-E = E9/13

Here is my favorite open G# half-diminished chord.

E major: D# diminished chords

The diminished chords in E major are D#dim, D#m7♭5, and D#m11♭5, which can substitute for B7, B9, and B9/13. The problem with the diminished chords here is that you only have 1 open string. So you need to use either closed chords or switch to B7 chords.

D#-F#-A = D# dim
D#-F#-A-B = B7

D#-F#-A-C# = D#m7♭5
D#-F#-A-C#-B = B9

D#-F#-A-C#-G# = D#m11♭5
D#-F#-A-C#-G#-B = B9/13

F major: E diminished chords

The diminished chords in F major are Edim, Em7♭5, and Em11♭5, which can substitute for C7, C9, and C9/13. The Edim triad is limited with only the open G and E strings, but the Em7b5 and Em11b5 have more options.

E-G-Bb = E dim
E-G-Bb-C = C7

E-G-Bb-D = Em7♭5
E-G-Bb-D-C = C9

E-G-Bb-D-A = Em11♭5
E-G-Bb-D-A-C = C9/13

Here is an open Em11♭5 chord and a scale for an open E Locrian pentatonic scale. Both sound great and would be good over a C7 chord, even better over a C9 or C13 chord. Remember, don’t the B note of the E blues scale. I added the slash on the C note of the B string to give you a 2nd note to play.

Final Thoughts

So what are the important points in this article?

1. If you are just starting out writing songs then just stick with the 7th chords.
2. Look into the dim triad, m7♭5 chords, and the Locrian pentatonic scale if you write a lot of blues tunes.
3. If you are an intermediate or advanced guitar player then go hog wild with the dissonance and resolution tied to the diminished chords.

Check out the Wikipedia page on the Diminished Triad which has links to some other diminished chords for more information on diminished chords. Also, read my article on all the other diminished chords not covered here.

The post The Diminished Chord (Dom 7th Chord Substitute) appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

I cover the intervals and notes for each diminished chord and include some song examples that use F# dim and dim7 chords.

Try my 21 open F# diminished guitar chords to see if you like their sound: 13 from G major and the remaining 8 from various minor scales.

Six F# diminished chord types

There are a total of 6 commonly seen diminished chord types, though you will only see 3 of them in jazz pieces. Here are the 3 diminished chords that can be built from the G major scale:

dim triad: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th = R-m3-d5 = 1-♭3-♭5
Alternate symbol: ^o, for example, F#^o
F# dim = F#-A-C

m7♭5 chord: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th = R-m3-d5-m7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7
Alternate symbol: ^ø7, for example, F#^ø7
Chord equivalent = m6 on the ♭3
F#m7b5 = F#-A-C-E = Am6

m11♭5 chord: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, perfect 4th/11th = R-m3-d5-P4 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-11
Chord equivalent = m6 add9 on the ♭3, 7sus ♭9 on the 4th
F#m11b5 = F#-A-C-E-B = Am6 add9 = B7sus ♭9

The strongest tendency for all 3 chords is to the I chord G major in whatever form it takes: G, G6. G6 add9, Gmaj7, etc. E minor would follow those chords nicely as well.

The next 3 diminished chords come from the G harmonic minor, A melodic minor, and the B♭ harmonic minor scales respectively. These are just for your reference. They can NOT be built from the major scale.

dim7 chord: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, diminished 7th = R-m3-d5-d7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭♭7
Alternate symbol: ^o7, for example, F#^o7
Chord equivalent: equals a dim7 for every other chord tone
F# dim7 = F#-A-C-E♭ = A dim7, C dim7, E♭ dim7
Chord tendency: resolves up a semitone for each chord tone, F#dim7 resolves to G, A#\B♭, C#, and F major, and you can include the relative AND parallel minors of each of those keys as well.

F#m9♭5 chord: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd\9th = R-m3-d5-M2 = 1-♭3-♭5-9
Chord equivalent: equals a 7#5♭9 on the 9
F#m9♭5 = F#-A-C-E-G# = G#7#5♭9
Chord tendency: resolves best to G and C# but also to F# and C.

m-maj7♭5 chord: root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, major 7th = R-m3-d5-M7 = 1-♭3-♭5-7
F#m-maj7♭5 = F#-A-C-E#
Chord tendency: resolves to G and C# but also F# and A#\B♭.

21 Open F# diminished guitar chord shapes

Although this article is geared towards the 3 diminished chord types found in the key of G major, I’m including the dim7, m9♭5, and m-maj7♭5 chords as well. I might as well. Where else would I cover those chords?

If you would like to learn the closed chord voicings for all the diminished chord types, then take a look at my Diminished Triad article.

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the chord voicings:

F# dim triad: #1 is a little difficult but I like it and #2 is my favorite.

F#m7♭5: #’s 2, 3 & 6 are my favorites.

F#m11♭5: Even though #1 is difficult, it’s the most ominous of all these diminished chords, although #2 is spooky too – love them both.

F#dim7: They all sound good.

F#m9♭5: I only like #1.

F#m-maj7♭5: This is not a chord I use, but I like #2, especially since it is the bottom half of a 7#9 chord.

Songs that use an F# diminished chord

Here are some songs that use one of the guitar voicings found above:

Beatles: G♭dim in I’m Happy Just To Dance With You
Grateful Dead: F#dim7 in Ship of Fools
Simon & Garfunkel: F#dim in Bridge Over Troubled Water
Jerry Reed: F#dim7 in The Claw

Also look at my Diminished Chords article for example of other songs that use diminished chords, though not all in the key of F#.

Final Thoughts

I personally only occasionally use a dim, m7♭5 or dim7 chord in my songs, although I like the m11♭5 chord and I use the chord equivalent of the m9♭5 (7#5♭9). It’s interesting that a m-maj7♭5 chord is a full 7#9 chord without the root (F#m-maj♭5 = D7#9 no root).

If you like the easier to grab full diminished chord sound, then I’m sure you’ll find some F# voicings above that you’ll find useful in your songs. Check out the Wikipedia page on the diminished triad if you like these types of chords.

The post F# Diminished Guitar Chords From the G Major Scale appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

In this article, I cover all things that are diminished: intervals, chords, scales, and modes. I also have some common diminished guitar chord, scale, and interval shapes, as well as two diminished scale licks.

All Things Diminished: Intervals, Chords, Scales & Modes

When you put the word “diminished” in an article title, people expect to see the word “chord” or “scale” to follow. I’m going to cover both the diminished chord AND the diminished scale, but also everything else that can be considered diminished.

If you are looking to understand the diminished sound in music, then you will have more than enough to learn and practice on guitar, or any instrument. Let’s go from the smallest to the largest: diminished intervals and then the octatonic scale, the diminished scale.

I cover practically every interval type, so if you need to learn or brush up on intervals then read my Music Intervals article. The number “1” below in the various sections is short for either the tonic (T), root note (R) or Perfect Unison (P1).

Diminished intervals (♭5 & ♭♭7)

There are really only 2 diminished intervals: the diminished fifth and the diminished 7th. You may see other diminished intervals, but they are odd enharmonic intervals not worth covering. They are non-practical and rarely seen.

Diminished 5th = d5 = ♭5 = the tritone = 6 semitones \ frets from the root \ tonic note, ex.: B to F
Enharmonic interval equivalent: augmented 4th = A4 = #11, ex,: C to F# (or B to E#)
Resolve tendency for diminished 5th interval, B-F or F-B = C major and F# major

Diminished 7th = d7 = ♭♭7 = 9 semitones \ frets from the root \ tonic, ex.: B to A♭
Enharmonic interval equivalent: major 6th = M6 = 6 or 13, Ex.: B to G#
Resolve tendency for diminished 7th \ major 6th, B-A♭\G# = F# major

The diminished 5th is in all diminished chords and the diminished 7th is ONLY in the fully diminished 7th chord. That’s about it for the diminished intervals, though ere are some guitar shapes of 3 and 4-note diminished 5th \ tritone intervals.

Diminished Chords (dim triad, dim7, m7b5, m9b5, m11b5, & m-maj7b5)

All diminished chords have the diminished triad as the base chord. Let’s look at the chord formulas for all possible diminished chord in the key of B.

1) Diminished triad:
Root note, minor 3rd, diminished 5th = R-m3-d5 = 1-♭3-♭5, ex.: Bdim or B^o = B-D-F

2) Fully diminished seventh chord:
R-m3-d5-d7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭♭7, ex.: Bdim7 or B^o7 = B-D-F-A♭
The dim7 chord is a symmetrical chord, Bdim7 = Ddim7 = Fdim7 = Ab\G#dim7

3) Half diminished 7th chord:
R-m3-d5-m7 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7, ex.: Bm7♭5 or B^ø7 = B-D-F-A
Bm7♭5 = Dm6

Other diminished chords

4) Minor 9 flat 5, m9♭5 = R-m3-d5-m7-M2 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-9, ex.: Bm9♭5 = B-D-F-A-C#
Bm9♭5 = C#7#5♭9
5) Minor 11 flat 5, m11♭5 = R-m3-d5-m7-P4 = 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-11, ex.: Bm11♭5 = B-D-F-A-E
Bm11♭5 = Dm6 add9 = E7sus ♭9
6) Minor major 7 flat 5, m-maj7♭5 or dimMaj7 = R-m3-d5-M7 = 1-♭3-♭5-7, ex.: Bm-maj7♭5 = B-D-F-A#
Bm-maj7♭5 = G7#9, no root

Take a look at my Diminished Triad article for more information on diminished chords, B guitar chord voicings and popular song examples that use the chords.

Diminished Modes & Scales

I’m including all scales and modes that can build at least a diminished triad on the tonic. The standard for diminished scales are the half-whole and whole-half diminished scales, but these are worth checking out.

Locrian mode

An oldie but a goodie, everyone should know the 7th mode of the major scale. Let’s keep it simple and only look at the notes, intervals and diminished chords from the B Locrian mode:

Notes: B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B
Interval abbreviations: m2-m3-P4-d5-m6-m7
Practical intervals names: ♭9, ♭3, 11, ♭5, ♭13, ♭7

The B diminished chords built from the B Locrian scale are Bdim, Bm7♭5 and Bm11♭5.

Locrian M6

This mode is built from the second degree of the harmonic minor scale. As the name implies, it is a Locrian scale that has a major 6th as opposed to a minor 6th. Let’s keep with the key of B and look at the A harmonic minor scale starting on the 2nd degree.

Notes: B-C-D-E-F-G#-A
Interval abbreviations: m2–m3-P4-d5-M6-m7
Practical intervals names: ♭9-♭3-11-♭5-6/13-♭7

The diminished chords built from the B Locrian M6 mode are the same as B Locrian mode, but also Bdim7.

Dorian #11 & Lydian #9

Because of the dim7 chord built from the Locrian M6 mode, there are 3 other modes from the harmonic minor scale that build dim7, m7♭5, and m-maj7♭5 chords.

The other modes are the Ultra Locrian (next section), Dorian #11 (iv) and Lydian #9 (vi). The 4th and 6th modes are usually used as minor and major scales respectively, but they can also be used over diminished chords.

Dorian #11 builds a dim7, m7♭5, and a m9♭5 chord, while the Lydian #9 builds a dim7 and a m-maj7♭5 chord.

Ultra Locrian

The seventh mode of the harmonic minor is called the Ultra Locrian mode. This diminished mode has one of those “odd” diminished intervals: the diminished 4th. Here is the B Ultra Locrian scale, the 7th mode of the C harmonic minor scale:

Notes: B-C-D-Eb-F-G-A♭
Interval abbreviations: m2-m3-d4-d5-m6-d7
Practical intervals names: ♭9-♭3-3-♭5-♭13-♭♭7

You can only build a Bdim and Bdim7 chord using these notes.

If you remember, the dim7 chord is symmetrical where each note in the chord can be the root of another dim7 chord. So if the major 2nd and the major 7th degrees of the harmonic minor scale build a fully diminished seventh chord, then so does the 4th and 6th scale degrees.

Locrian M2

The Locrian M2 scale is the 6th mode of the melodic minor scale and it differs from Locrian, Locrian M6 and Ultra Locrian in that it has a major 2nd. Here is B Locrian M2 scale which is the 6th mode of the D melodic minor scale:

Notes: B-C#-D-E-F-G-A
Interval abbreviations: M2-m3-P4-d5-m6-m7
Practical intervals names: 9-♭3-11-♭5-♭13-♭7

This diminished mode \ scale builds the same chords as B Locrian but also a Bm9♭5 chord.

Super Locrian (Altered Scale)

This scale \ mode is better known as the Altered Scale and is common in jazz but some blues and rock players will use it as well. It is primarily used over altered 7th chords. Altered 7ths, or 7alt, have some combination of an altered 9th AND altered 5th.

I prefer to think of them as dominant 7th chords with an altered 9th OR an altered 5th, and I’ll throw in #11 and ♭13 chords. But here are the most common chord types of 7alts:

7♭9, 7♭5, 7♭5♭9, 7♭5#9
7#9, 7#5, 7#5#9, 7#5♭9

Here are standard 7♭5 and 7#5 chord voicings. I marked the ♭5 as an alternate Root note for the 7♭5 chords.

Hopefully, you noticed both the ♭5 and #9 / ♭3 intervals which means you can build a diminished triad and a half-diminished 7th chord from this scale but it’s not a go-to scale for diminished chords.

Locrian Pentatonic Scale ( = In Sen Pentatonic ~ the Blues scale)

This scale is one note short of the blues scale. Let’s look at A Locrian Pentatonic which equals the D In Sen Pentatonic

A Locrian Pent Notes: A-C-D-E♭-G
Interval abbreviations: m3-11-d5-m7
Practical intervals names: ♭3-11-♭5-♭7
Chords: Adim, Am7♭5, Am11♭5

Here is the E voicing of the Locrian Pentatonic scale:

So that is just the A Blues scale without E the perfect 5th.

Since this chord equals an m11♭5 chord, then that means you can also build a m6 add9 and a 7sus ♭9 chord. For the A Locrian Pentatonic, you can also build Cm6 add9 and D7sus♭9.

The Blues scale

There isn’t much difference here other than the perfect fifth which makes the scale also good over Am7 and A7 chords.

Notes: A-C-D-E♭-E-G
Interval abbreviations: m3-4/11-d5-P5-m7
Practical intervals names: ♭3-4/11-♭5-5-♭7
Chords: Adim, Am7b5, Am11b5

You can use this scale over the following chords as well: Am7, Am7#11, A7, A7#9, A7#11 (and others)

The Diminished Scale

Well, I’m saving the best for last, or at least THE diminished scale, versus all the other scales that have a diminished sound. This is also the scale most referred to when the octatonic scale (8-note scale) is mentioned. There are two versions of it.

The first is built using alternating whole and half step intervals (WH diminished scale), and the second version is built with or half and whole step intervals (HW diminished scale).

They are both used but with different applications. There are only 3 unique scales pf both types: C, C#\D♭, and D. Since it is a symmetrical scale, scales with tonics of D#\E♭ up to B are repeats of C, C#, and D.

The diminished scale is built using the whole and half steps mentioned below or by adding two dim7 chords separated by either a half-step or whole step.

Half-Whole Diminished Scale

This is the interesting diminished scale if you ask me. It works nicely over dominant 7th chords with or without altered chord tones. Let’s change the key from B to G so that we can use it over for V7 chords in C major.

Notes: G-A♭-A#/B♭-B-C#\D♭-D-E-F
Interval abbreviations: m2-A2/m3-M3-A4/d5-P5-M6-m7
Practical intervals names: ♭9-#9/♭3-3-#11/♭5-5-6/13-♭7
Alternate scale names: dominant diminished scale, half whole diminished scale, or HW diminished scale

Since it has 8 notes, one of the natural letters has to be repeated and I prefer the ♭9 / #9 combo instead of the ♭3 / 3. That makes more sense to me.

It is used solo over dominant 7th chords especially if they have some combination of ♭9, #9, #11 or 13 extensions. Here is a 1-octave dominant diminished scale in the G voicing:

Here are two G Half-Whole Diminished scale licks in the E & D positions.

Whole-Half Diminished Scale

This version of the diminished scale is used to solo over diminished chords. Here is the scale in B.

Notes: B-C#-D-E-F-G-A♭-A#
Interval abbreviations: M2-m3-P4-d5-m6-d7-M7
Practical intervals names: 9-♭3-11-♭5-♭13-♭♭7-7
Alternate scale names: fully diminished scale, whole-half diminished scale, or WH diminished scale

*Note: This scale has the same notes as the G dominant diminished scale.

I prefer repeating the letters for the diminished 7th and major 7th, though some prefer the ♭5 / #5. That doesn’t make sense to me since you can’t build an augmented chord. Another option is the ♭13 / 13.

It is used solo to over dim triad, dim7, and m-maj7♭5 chords., and it is not as common as the dominant diminished scale.

Final Thoughts

The phrase “Water, water everywhere – but not a drop to drink” comes to mind. I covered a lot of diminished subjects in this article. Do you practice everything or cherry-pick what you want?

I cherry-pick. I’m not learning more than 1-octave scale positions and licks on the high strings for the dominant diminished and altered scales. The same goes for all the other diminished scales except for the Blues \ Locrian pentatonic scales.

The only diminished chords I use are the dim triad, dim7, and m7♭5 chords and I love using the tritone as a double-stop. Check out the Wikipedia article on the diminished triad if you want some more theory in your head.

I hope you find the diminished sound that you prefer!

All things diminished are covered in this article. I discuss the 2 main diminished intervals, the diminished triad chord, and other diminished chords and various diminished modes and scales The diminished scales and modes are the scales that build diminished chords and that can be used to solo over those chords.

The post Diminished Chords, Diminished Modes & The Diminished Scale appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

Diminished triads have a minor third and a diminished fifth, hence the name. It is built by adding a note a minor third above the root note, and a note a minor third above that second note.

You can add a diminished, minor or major 7th to the diminished triad to form the fully diminished, half-diminished and m-maj7♭5 chords respectively.

The diminished triad: chord formula

Take a look at my article on the 4 triads in music which includes the diminished triad. I cover each triad in detail so give that a quick read.

Basically, a diminished triad is built by stacking 2 minor thirds (m3) above a root note. That means that you add the note a minor third above the root note, then you add the note that is a minor third above the second note added (m3 + m3).

You can also view the diminished triad as a minor triad with a flattened 5th. Also, check out my music intervals article for descriptions of all the intervals used to build scales and chords.

All 7th-degree notes in major scales build a diminished triad. Let’s look at a B diminished triad in the key of C major as an example. The image below shows the notes in the B Locrian mode from the C major scale and the B Ultra Locrian from the C Harmonic Minor scale.

You can build a diminished triad from both scales. There are other scales that have diminished triads in them, but the half-diminished seventh chord and fully diminished seventh chord covered below have their origins in these two scales.

The chord formula for a diminished triad is:

Root note + minor third + diminished fifth = 1 – m3 – d5 = 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 = m3 + m3

The diminished triad is not very common in popular music (rock, country, etc.), though it is common in jazz and sometimes blues. You will see it in some popular genres, but usually, the dominant 7th is preferred since any dom7 chord contains the diminished triad.

Popular songs with a dim triad

Here are a number of songs that use the dim triad from the songbooks I own. Here are some examples that use the diminished triad:

Beach Boys: Caroline No, Friends, God Only Knows, Graduation Day, Let’s Go Away For A While
Beatles: Baby You’re A Rich Man, Blackbird, Hard Days Night, Michelle, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever
Grateful Dead: The Other One, Dark Star, The Music Never Stopped
Led Zeppelin: Since I’ve Been Loving You
Sting: Mad About You
Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Jimmy Bryant: Stratosphere Boogie
Silverman’s Folk Song Encyclopedia, Vol. I & II: There are about 30 songs in each volume that use a diminished triad.

What is a half-diminished chord (m7♭5)?

A half-diminished 7th chord is just the diminished triad with a ♭7 added. It is notated as m7♭5 or with the ^ø symbol and a 7, e.g. B^ø7 = Bm7♭5. By the way, that particular chord equals a m6 chord on the ♭3:

B-D-F-A (B^ø7) = D-F-A-B (Dm6)

B^ø7  or Bm7♭5 = 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7 = 1-m3-d5-m7

The chord gets its name because the perfect 5th is diminished, but the seventh degree is not. There is a fully diminished chord that does have a diminished seventh degree (see below).

The half-diminished chord is a “… considerable instability”. – Henry, Earl and Rogers, Michael (2004). Tonality and Design in Music Theory, Vol. I

Half-diminished seventh chords only have that name because there is a fully diminished seventh chord. Otherwise, the chord would just be called a m7♭5 –  I use “m7♭5” and not ^ø7 when I write out the chord.

Popular songs with a half-diminished chord

Here are some examples of songs that use the m7♭5 chord:

Beach Boys: Caroline No, Don’t Talk, God Only Knows, I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times, Let’s Go Away for a While
Grateful Dead: Cosmic Charlie, France, The Music Never Stopped, Terrapin Station
Bob Dylan: When I Paint My Masterpiece
Beatles: Penny Lane
Little Feat: Time Loves A Hero
Stevie Wonder: My Cherie Amour, You Are the Sunshine of My Life

To better understand what a half-diminished seventh chord is, let’s take a look at the fully diminished chord.

The fully diminished chord

The fully diminished chord (dim7) is one of the 2 symmetrical chords. Symmetrical chords and scales have notes in them that are an equal distance apart from each other.

Most people only mention the dim7 and augmented triad as chords that repeat after a certain interval but there are 4 other ones: 7♭9#11, 13#9 (no root or 5th), 7♭5, 13♭5#9 and 9♭5♭13. Know that tritones invert to tritones.

Dim7 chords consist of two tritones and the chord repeats every minor 3rd \ 3 frets. What that means is you can move the chord shape a minor third and it has the same notes in it but on different strings. Try it out for yourself – it’s really cool.

Like an augmented triad, the diminished seventh chord can have any of the chord tones as the root.

Bdim7 (B-D-F-A♭) = Ddim7 = Fdim7 = A♭\G#dim7

The chord is notated with a superscript circle followed by the number 7, e,g, Bdim7 = B^o7 = B-D-F-A♭. I just notate it as “dim7”.

It is called a fully diminished chord because the 7th is diminished:

A# = the major 7th of B
A = the minor 7th, or ♭7, of B
A♭ = the diminished 7th, or ♭♭7. of B

So the fully diminished 7th chord has the diminished 5th and diminished 7th, but the half-diminished 7th chord only has a diminished 5th.

B^o7 = B-D-F-A♭ = 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭♭7 = 1-m3-d5-d7 = m3 + m3 + m3
B^ø7 = B-D-F-A = 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7 = 1-m3-d5-m7 = m3 + m3 + M3

That’s the only difference – the half-diminished \  m7♭5 has the minor 7th, whereas the dim7 has the diminished 7th.

Popular songs with a fully diminished chord

Here are some songs that use the dim7 chord:

Allman Brothers: In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, One Way Out (outro)
Beatles: I’m Happy Just to Dance With You, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Blackbird
Bob Dylan: Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat, When I Paint My Masterpiece
Grateful Dead: Dark Star, The Music Never Stopped, Ship of Fools, Tennessee Jed, Deal
Eric Clapton: Mainline Florida
Reverend Gary Davis: Make Believe Stunt
Garth Brooks: Friends in Low Places
Albert Lee: Bullish Boogie
Jerry Reed: The Claw
Silverman’s Folk Song Encyclopedia, Vol. II: 6 songs with a dim7 on pages 21, 27, 30, 43, 63 & 362.

Other scales that build diminished chords

You can also build a diminished triad in the Melodic Minor scale on the 6th and 7th degree, and the Harmonic Minor scale on the 2nd, 4th, 6th & 7th degrees. If you like the diminished sound, here are some other scales that contain a dim triad:

1. Major Bebop on the 2nd, 4th, 6th & the 8th scale notes.
2. Blues Scale on the root.
3. Half-Step Whole-Step Diminished scale (HW Dim) on the root and every other note after the root

The major bebop, and of course the diminished scale, build diminished chords, but most people don’t think of dim chords in the  Blues Scales. It’s not standard to think of that scale as building diminished chords, but the notes are there to build them (dim & m7♭5).

Other diminished chords (m9♭5, m11♭5, m-maj7♭5)

There are three more dim chords that you don’t often see: m9♭5, m11♭5, and m-maj7♭5.

I like the minor 11 flat 5 chord (m11♭5) the best out of these other dim chords. Stevie Wonders uses a m11♭5 in “If You Really Love Me”. The chord formula for a minor eleven flat five chord is 1-♭3-♭5-♭7-11, e.g. Bm11♭5 = B-D-F-A-E.

A minor eleven flat five equals a m6 add 9 on the ♭3 and a 7sus♭9 on the 11 of the chord, and all those chords resolve nicely to the tonic chord. The m6 add9 chord is a staple in jazz, but I’m not so sure about m11♭5 or 7sus♭9 chords.

Bm11♭5 (B-D-F-A-E) = Dm6 add9 (D-F-A-B-E) and E7sus♭9 (E-A-B-D-F) – all resolve nicely to a C major chord.

The next diminished chord is a minor 9 flat five notated as m9♭5 (1-♭3-♭5-♭7-9) and is built from the Melodic Minor scale on the 6th degree. It has the same notes as a 7#5♭9 chord on the 9th.

Bm9♭5 (B-D-F-A-C#) = C#7#5♭9 (C#-F-A-B-D). The major 3rd of C# is E# or F, and the augmented 5th is G## or A.

And the last diminished chord is a dim triad with a major 7th called a “minor major 7 flat five” and notated as m-maj7♭5 (1-♭3-♭5-7).  I assume only jazz guys use this chord. It comes from the Harmonic Major and Harmonic Minor scales. An example is:

Bm-maj7♭5 = B-D-F-A#

I think the m-maj7♭5 chord works best as a leading tone chord to a minor tonic chord. So Bm-maj7♭5 > C minor. Another great V7 chord to get you back to a minor tonic chord is the 7#9 chord on the V, e.g. G7#9 > Cm. If you play a G7#9 without the root it has the same notes as Bm-maj7♭5.

Table of B diminished chords

Here is a table of all the B diminished chords. The columns Equal Chord1 thru 3 are the other chords that contain the same notes.

Diminished chords for guitar

Here are the chord voicings I have for diminished chords, including open versions for the B diminished triad and every other B diminished chord. There are only 5 diminished chord shapes that have a 2 or 3-bar chord shape. Dim chords just don’t make barring them easy.

Take a look at the chord block chart below for all the symbols I use for chords on this site. Refer back to it as you need.

Closed Diminished triad & open B diminished triad guitar chord shapes

In my opinion, the dim triads are not good for strumming but are better played with hybrid picking or fingerpicking.

A good example is are the arpeggios at the opening of “Red House” by Jimi Hendrix. The chords in the opening measures are notated as E7 & Eb7 (if I remember correctly) but it’s actually G#dim & Gdim.

My favorite dim voicings are #’s 1, 2 & 5 and the #2 Bdim is okay.

 

 

Closed diminished 7th’s (m7♭5 & dim7) & open B diminished 7th chord shapes

Let me make some notes on some of the chord shapes below.

1. The #4 m7♭5 chord shape is often taught as a dominant 9th chord which it shouldn’t be. It’s a great substitute for a 9th but it’s a half-diminished 7th chord. Keep that in mind if you ever encounter it.
2. For the 3 dim7 chords, I mark EACH note as the root of the chord, because each note is, or can be, the root.

I like both dim7chords, #1 Bdim7, #’s 1, 3, 4, 5 & 8 m7♭5 and only #1 Bm7♭5.

 

 

 

All other closed and open B diminished chords (m9♭5, m11♭5, m-maj7♭5)

I like most of the chords below except for #2 Bm9♭5. It doesn’t sound good, probably because of the ♭5 ringing out over the open B note. It is included here in case someone finds a use for that dissonance.  Also, I could not find 1 closed voicing for a m9♭5 chord – only open chords.

 

 

How to use the diminished triad and half-diminished chords

As I mentioned, I don’t often use the diminished triad or half-diminished seventh chord often because they are a part of the V7 & V9 chords. Let me show you what I mean:

B dim = B – D – F
G7 = G – (B – D – F)

Bm7♭5 = B – D – F – A
G9 = G – (B – D – F – A)

You can use either chord it in place of the V7 chord before going to the I or i chord. I do often use the D7 shape of a diminished triad in place of a 7 chord, especially in blues tunes.

How to use the dim7 chord

It’s common to use a dim7 chord 1 semitone above the V7 chord – replace G7 with A♭dim7 and it is a substitute for a G7♭9.

Or use it as a leading tone chord, e.g. Bdim7 > Cmaj. You can use the other tritone to go to a whole new key:

B-D-F-A♭ – The B & F in Bdim7 takes you C major, while D & A♭\G# take you to A major. But it can also resolve to C major, E♭ major, F#\G♭ major and A major. It sounds okay to resolve to the keys of E♭ & G♭ but it is a little weak.

But the fully diminished 7th chord will also resolve to the minor versions of those keys: Cm, E♭m, F#\G♭m & Am. Also, try using a dim7 chord a major second above a V7 chord.

Also, try it a 1/2 step above the IV7 chord before going to the I7 chord in blues. For example, a Bdim7 will resolve nicely to F7 as the I chord in F blues: B♭7 -> Bdim7 -> F7.

As a matter of fact, a Bdim7 will resolve to the major version of each chord tone: Bmaj, Dmaj, Fmaj, Abmaj.

Also, try moving one of the notes of the dim7 chord up a half step to a note in the resolving chord. For example, Bdim with the A♭ resolves nicely to A major or minor if the actual A♭ pitch in the chord moves to an A note on the same string 1 step ahead.

Jazz guys are the best at using dim7 and m7♭5 chords so I’ll leave it to them. I just stick with the normal chords of a key that contain the tritone.

The tritone

When it comes down to it, let the tritone be your guide. You can use any chord that has the same tritone that is in the V7 chord. You would use it in place of the V7 to get you back “home” to the I. The B & F in the G7 and Bdim7 chords do just that, as do the chords Dm6, Fmaj7#11, etc.

For a really detailed examination of the resolving tendency of diminished chords, check out Diminished Chord – How To Use on the Simplifying Theory site.

Summary

It’s up to you whether you want to experiment with diminished triads and the various seventh chords. The fully diminished seventh is interesting, but I tend not to bother with the other ones, though I have found some m11♭5 voicings that sound fantastic.

Another option is to switch between B diminished and G dominant 7ths chords because they have the same function. Take a look at my articles: G7 Guitar Chords and Double Extended G7 Chords. Also, look at my Comprehensive List of Chords for all the chords that can be built from popular scales.

Mess around, experiment – there is no harm in learning more than you will ever need.

“It’s your mind, it’s your creativity, it’s your guitar, and most importantly, it’s your music – do what you want to do (just make sure it sounds good)”. ~ quote by Kernix

The post Diminished Triad, Half Diminished Chord & Other Dim Chords appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.