Fdim7: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios

Fdim7 (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

  • F – Gbdim7 – Gm7
  • Edim7 → 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 Fdim7

A few curated Fdim7 shapes with fret numbers, intervals and root markers.

XXObb71b3b5123
Fdim7 — Drop 2, root on 6th string, frets 0–3
XXbb71b5b3678910
Fdim7 — Drop 2, root on 5th string, frets 6–10
XX1bb7b5b32345
Fdim7 — Drop 2, root on 4th string, frets 2–5

Compatible scales for Fdim7

Open interactive scale pages that naturally pair with this chord.

Other chord qualities on the F root

Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.