Diminished 7th Chords

Diminished 7th Chords

by guitar instructor Michael Carabine

Today I’d like to talk about Diminished 7th chords. These are chords consisting of the following four notes; root, b3, b5, bb7 (yes, the feared double flat 7th). The diminished chord is one of the most unstable of all musical events as it is made up of two interlocking tri-tones (C-Gb, Eb-Bbb). The ear perceives these dissonances and feels the need to resolve them. This is where it gets interesting as the diminished 7th chord can resolve in numerous ways, making it ideal for key modulations. Depending on how we stack the chord (1, 3, 5, 7 or 3, 5, 7, 1, etc…), we can resolve to a number of major and minor tonalities: Bdim7-Cm, Bdim7-Cmajor, Bdim7-F#m, Bdim7-F#major, etc…Enjoy experimenting for yourself!

Elite Music Academy is a private music school offering private music lessons in Toronto. Guitar lessons are also offered in diverse musical styles in classical, electric and acoustic guitar. For a free consultation please contact the main desk at 416 406 5355 ext 1. Call us and start today!