About the Bdim7 chord
The diminished seventh is built entirely from minor thirds, so the same shape repeats every three frets. It is a dramatic passing chord in jazz, gypsy swing and classical music. The symbol for it is Bdim7.
B1
D♭3
F♭5
A♭𝄫7
How to play Bdim7
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 3 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the A string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the D string at fret 3.
- Put your little finger on the B string at fret 3.
- Strum and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Other B chords
Bdim7 chord questions
What notes are in a Bdim7 chord?
Bdim7 is made of B, D, F and A♭. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, ♭5, 𝄫7 above the root, B.
What is the easiest way to play Bdim7?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 2 3 1 3 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is Bdim7 a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.