Piano chord
B♭ diminished 7 chord
B♭dim7 is a diminished seventh chord: the root B♭, a minor 3rd up to D♭, a diminished 5th up to F♭ and a diminished 7th up to A𝄫.
- Symbol
- B♭dim7
- Notes
- B♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A𝄫
Play it yourself
Tap B♭, D♭, F♭ and A𝄫 on the keys below, in any order.
- B♭
- D♭
- F♭
- A𝄫
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 B♭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
B♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A𝄫
- 1st inversion · B♭dim7/D♭
D♭ – F♭ – A𝄫 – B♭
- 2nd inversion · B♭dim7/F♭
F♭ – A𝄫 – B♭ – D♭
- 3rd inversion · B♭dim7/A𝄫
A𝄫 – B♭ – D♭ – F♭
Keys with B♭dim7
B♭dim7 doesn't occur naturally in a major or natural minor key. It's used as a colour chord, borrowed or altered.