D diminished seventh

D°7

Also written Do7 · Ddim · Ddim7

NotesD · F · A♭ · C♭
Formula1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · 𝄫7

C♭ is the key you know as B.

D1F♭3C♭𝄫7A♭♭5
Root position

Four notes, each a minor 3rd from the next, so D°7 = F°7 = G♯°7 = B°7 — there are only three different diminished 7ths. It is also a 7(♭9) chord with its root left out: C♯7(♭9), E7(♭9), G7(♭9) or B♭7(♭9).

How pianists voice D°7

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

D1F♭3C♭𝄫7

1 · ♭3 · 𝄫7 — root, 3rd and 7th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

F♭3C♭𝄫7E9A♭♭5

♭3 · ♭5 · 𝄫7 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano.

Rootless B From the 7th

C♭𝄫7E9F♭3A♭♭5

𝄫7 · 9 · ♭3 · ♭5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves.

Drop 2 Two hands

D1F♭3C♭𝄫7A♭♭5

♭5 · 1 · ♭3 · 𝄫7 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

D°7 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position D°7

D1F♭3C♭𝄫7A♭♭5

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · 𝄫7.

1st inversion D°7/F

F♭3C♭𝄫7D1A♭♭5

F (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · ♭5 · 𝄫7 · 1.

2nd inversion D°7/A♭

C♭𝄫7D1F♭3A♭♭5

A♭ (the ♭5) in the bass: ♭5 · 𝄫7 · 1 · ♭3.

3rd inversion D°7/C♭

C♭𝄫7D1F♭3A♭♭5

C♭ (the 𝄫7) in the bass: 𝄫7 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭5.

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