Share options
XRedditFacebook

Bass chord companion

D Diminished 7 Chord

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

Expand fretboardOpen in App
1Db3Fb5Abbb7Cb

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

D Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 4, fret 10. Choose individual tones for a bass line.

D Diminished 7th Root on E string bass chord-tone mapD Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 4, fret 10. Choose individual tones for a bass line.EADG9101112131b3b5bb71b3b5

Ascending arpeggio

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

D Diminished 7th Root on E string numbered bass arpeggioAscending complete formula: D2, F2, Ab2, Cb3. Play one numbered note at a time.EADG8910111234
StepDegreeNoteString / fretFingerPosition
11D24 / 103Fret 8
2b3F23 / 81Fret 8
3b5Ab23 / 114Fret 8
4bb7Cb32 / 92Fret 8

Root on A string

D Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 3, fret 5. Choose individual tones for a bass line.

D Diminished 7th Root on A string bass chord-tone mapD Diminished 7th complete chord-tone map around string 3, fret 5. Choose individual tones for a bass line.EADG45678b5bb71b3b5bb71

Ascending arpeggio

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

D Diminished 7th Root on A string numbered bass arpeggioAscending complete formula: D2, F2, Ab2, Cb3. Play one numbered note at a time.EADG34561234
StepDegreeNoteString / fretFingerPosition
11D23 / 53Fret 3
2b3F22 / 31Fret 3
3b5Ab22 / 64Fret 3
4bb7Cb31 / 42Fret 3

Full fretboard map

Every D 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.

GDAEFAbCbDFAbCbDCbDFAbCbDFAbFAbCbDFAbCbDAbCbDFAbCbDF123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Progression examples using D 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 D Diminished 7
  2. /i Eb 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 D Diminished 7
  2. /I Eb Major

Chord Tones

DegreeIntervalNote
1RootD
b3m3F
b5d5Ab
bb7d7Cb

Scales Containing the Complete Formula

D 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