Piano chord
A♭ diminished 7 chord
A♭dim7 is a diminished seventh chord: the root A♭, a minor 3rd up to C♭, a diminished 5th up to E𝄫 and a diminished 7th up to G𝄫.
- Symbol
- A♭dim7
- Notes
- A♭ – C♭ – E𝄫 – G𝄫
Play it yourself
Tap A♭, C♭, E𝄫 and G𝄫 on the keys below, in any order.
- A♭
- C♭
- E𝄫
- G𝄫
Diminished seventh chords stack three minor thirds. Every note is the same distance apart, which makes them very tense and a favourite for dramatic moments.
Inversions of A♭dim7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
A♭ – C♭ – E𝄫 – G𝄫
- 1st inversion · A♭dim7/C♭
C♭ – E𝄫 – G𝄫 – A♭
- 2nd inversion · A♭dim7/E𝄫
E𝄫 – G𝄫 – A♭ – C♭
- 3rd inversion · A♭dim7/G𝄫
G𝄫 – A♭ – C♭ – E𝄫
Keys with A♭dim7
A♭dim7 doesn't occur naturally in a major or natural minor key. It's used as a colour chord, borrowed or altered.