Piano chord
D diminished 7 chord
Ddim7 is a diminished seventh chord: the root D, a minor 3rd up to F, a diminished 5th up to A♭ and a diminished 7th up to C♭.
- Symbol
- Ddim7
- Notes
- D – F – A♭ – C♭
Play it yourself
Tap D, F, A♭ and C♭ on the keys below, in any order.
- D
- F
- A♭
- C♭
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 Ddim7
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
D – F – A♭ – C♭
- 1st inversion · Ddim7/F
F – A♭ – C♭ – D
- 2nd inversion · Ddim7/A♭
A♭ – C♭ – D – F
- 3rd inversion · Ddim7/C♭
C♭ – D – F – A♭
Keys with Ddim7
Ddim7 doesn't occur naturally in a major or natural minor key. It's used as a colour chord, borrowed or altered.