Share options
XRedditFacebook

Bass chord companion

C# Diminished 7 Chord

Learn the C# Diminished 7 chord on bass with chord tones, intervals, playable arpeggios, and fretboard maps.

Expand fretboardOpen in App
1C#b3Eb5Gbb7Bb

Bass chord tones and arpeggios

Play these tones one at a time to outline the chord. The maps show the complete formula; the numbered exercises give an ascending path, including extensions in their written octave.

Standard four-string bass: E1 – A1 – D2 – G2. String 4 is low E; string 1 is high G. Fingers 1–4 are index through little finger; 0 is open. Use comfortable hand positions and shift where indicated.

Root on E string

C# Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 4, fret 9. Choose individual tones for a bass line.

C# Diminished 7th Root on E string bass chord-tone mapC# Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 4, fret 9. Choose individual tones for a bass line.EADG891011121b3b5bb71b3b5

Ascending arpeggio

Follow steps 1–4 below. Keep one hand position.

C# Diminished 7th Root on E string numbered bass arpeggioAscending complete formula: C#2, E2, G2, Bb2. Play one numbered note at a time.EADG789101234
StepDegreeNoteString / fretFingerPosition
11C#24 / 93Fret 7
2b3E23 / 71Fret 7
3b5G23 / 104Fret 7
4bb7Bb22 / 82Fret 7

Root on A string

C# Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 3, fret 4. Choose individual tones for a bass line.

C# Diminished 7th Root on A string bass chord-tone mapC# Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 3, fret 4. Choose individual tones for a bass line.EADG34567b5bb71b3b5bb71

Ascending arpeggio

Follow steps 1–4 below. Keep one hand position.

C# Diminished 7th Root on A string numbered bass arpeggioAscending complete formula: C#2, E2, G2, Bb2. Play one numbered note at a time.EADG012341234
StepDegreeNoteString / fretFingerPosition
11C#23 / 44Fret 1
2b3E22 / 22Fret 1
3b5G21 / 0OpenFret 1
4bb7Bb21 / 33Fret 1

Full fretboard map

Every C# Diminished 7 Chord chord tone across the neck, with roots highlighted for quick orientation.

Interactive

Frets 0–24. Select a position or tap a note to hear it.

GDAEGBbC#EGBbC#EBbC#EGBbC#EGEGBbC#EGBbC#BbC#EGBbC#EG123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Progression examples using C# Diminished 7

Try these progressions to hear the harmony in context. On bass, outline each chord with individual target tones.

Leading-tone diminished seventh to minor

The diminished-seventh root lies a semitone below the destination tonic. Its tones come from that tonic’s harmonic minor scale.

  1. vii°7 C# Diminished 7
  2. /i D Minor

Borrowed diminished seventh to major

Borrow the leading-tone diminished seventh from the destination tonic’s parallel harmonic minor, then resolve into the major chord.

  1. vii°7 C# Diminished 7
  2. /I D Major

Chord Tones

DegreeIntervalNote
1RootC#
b3m3E
b5d5G
bb7d7Bb

Scales Containing the Complete Formula

Db Diminished (Whole-Half)

Complete Formula

1 – b3 – b5 – bb7

Compound degrees retain their names: 9, 11, and 13 are extensions. A voicing may place their pitches in a closer register.

Share options
XRedditFacebook