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.
Guitar chord companion
A Diminished 7 Chord
Learn the A Diminished 7 chord on guitar with chord tones, intervals, and interactive fretboard shapes.
1Ab3Cb5Ebbb7Gb
Playable A Diminished 7 Chord voicings
Start with these chord-box shapes, then use the full fretboard below to see every chord tone.
A shape, open position
Low to high strings: x 0 1 2 1 2
G shape, fret 2
Low to high strings: 5 3 x x 4 2
E shape, fret 5
Low to high strings: 5 6 7 5 7 5
D shape, fret 7
Low to high strings: x x 7 8 7 8
C shape, fret 10
Low to high strings: x 12 10 11 10 11
Full fretboard map
Every A Diminished 7 Chord chord tone across the neck, with roots highlighted for quick orientation.
Frets 0–24. Select a position or tap a note to hear it.
CAGED
Progression examples using A Diminished 7
Try these progressions to hear the harmony in context. On bass, outline each chord with individual target tones.
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.
Chord Tones
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | A |
| b3 | m3 | C |
| b5 | d5 | Eb |
| bb7 | d7 | Gb |
Scales Containing the Complete Formula
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.