How to play Abdim7: a diminished 7th built on Ab, with 3 ways to play it, the notes, the keys it belongs to, and songs that use it.
The first diagram is a common voicing: played at the first few frets. An X above a string means don't play it; an O means play it open.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 4 x 3 4 3 x (x = not played). Fingers: 2 x 1 3 1 x (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb).
This fingering is one good option, not the only one. If another finger feels more comfortable for your hand, or sets up the chord before or after more easily, use it.
| Note | Ab | Cb | Ebb | Gbb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | R | b3 | b5 | bb7 |
Abdim7 is a diminished 7th with Ab as its root. The full theoretical spelling is Ab, Cb, Ebb, Gbb. This voicing sounds every chord tone.
Abdim7 is a diatonic chord (built from the key's own notes) in 0 major keys and 4 minor keys. The roman numeral is the chord's place in that key; tap a key for all of its chords.
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Abdim7 is spelled Ab, Cb, Ebb, Gbb: the root, minor 3rd, flat 5th, double-flat 7th. The common guitar voicing sounds every one of them.
Frets from the low E string to the high E string: 4 x 3 4 3 x (x means the string is not played). Fingers: 2 x 1 3 1 x (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). Lay your 1st finger (index) across the D string to the B string at the 3rd fret (a barre). Your 2nd finger (middle) goes on the low E string at the 4th fret. Your 3rd finger (ring) goes on the G string at the 4th fret. Strum from the low E string down, skipping the A and high E strings. The fingering is one good option; if another finger feels more comfortable or suits the chords around it, use that.
Abdim7 belongs to 4 keys: Eb minor (the iv°, from the harmonic minor), F# minor (the ii°, from the harmonic minor), C minor (the vi°, from the harmonic minor) and A minor (the vii°, from the harmonic minor).
