Bbdim7: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios

Bbdim7 (Dim7) is an interactive GuitarArcanum page with chord formula, intervals, voicings, inversions, triads, pentatonic patterns, scales and arpeggios on the fretboard.

Chord formula

Interval formula: 1 b3 b5 bb7. A diminished 7th — four notes stacked in minor thirds. A tense, symmetric chord that pulls to a resolution.

Chord tones

The chord is built entirely from minor thirds, so it's symmetric: it splits the octave into equal parts. Inside are two tritones — hence the strong tension.

Sound character

Tense, anxious and dramatic — the classic 'suspense' chord.

Harmonic function

Most often a leading-tone or passing chord that pulls to the tonic. By symmetry, one shape serves four different dim7 chords.

Typical progressions

Bb – Bdim7 – Cm7
Adim7 → C
passing dim7

Guitar voicing advice

One shape repeats every three frets (symmetry). Handy from the 5th and 4th strings as a passing chord.

Fretboard voicings for Bbdim7

A few curated Bbdim7 shapes with fret numbers, intervals and root markers.

Bbdim7 — Drop 2, root on 6th string, frets 4–8

Bbdim7 — Drop 2, root on 5th string, frets 0–3

Bbdim7 — Drop 2, root on 4th string, frets 7–10

Compatible scales for Bbdim7

Open interactive scale pages that naturally pair with this chord.

Other chord qualities on the Bb root

Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.