G sharp diminished seventh (G dim 7) is a four note chord consisting of G#, B, D and F notes.
Music theory classifies chords into four distinct note interval qualities that define its function relative to other chords; these qualities include diminished, minor, major and perfect.
Intervals
The G diminished 7 chord is an essential tool that can be utilized in many different ways. From creating minor key progressions, to adding distortion into progressions such as when playing E diminished chords followed by G dim 7s – its versatility will allow you to stand out amongst crowd.
Each interval has a note quality which can either be sharp () or flat (). This number represents how far from scale note 1 it lies; 1 corresponds to major scale notes while 2 stands for major second notes etc. Additionally, interval numbers are identified with their abbreviated names in brackets – see table below for G diminished 7 chord note qualities along with piano diagram notes.
As you calculate the note intervals of a G diminished 7, it’s essential to keep in mind that all diminished chords invert in some way – for instance a major seventh will invert to minor six, an augmented fifth will switch into perfect fourth mode etc. as these intervals correspond with the bottom note of G diminished 7.
Therefore, the G dim 7 piano diagram displays all possible inversions of this chord as all diminished chords share the same triad chord structure.
Note intervals can also be organized into patterns to help make them easier to comprehend. For instance, in G diminished key the first half diminished seven chord can be formed using 1 (root), b3 and b5 from G Major scale; then second half diminished seventh chord is created using 1(root),b3 and b7 from this same scale.
Scales
G dim 7 chord is composed of four note intervals–G, Bb, Db and Fb–stacked into minor third intervals for an unsettling and dark sound.
Diminished scales are a type of diatonic scale with less notes than major scales, yet possess their own distinct pattern that differs from whole tone or melodic minor scales. Diminished scales feature half steps and whole steps from any starting note that combine into an intricate set of symmetrical notes; this enables chords to be built easily within this scale and gives it an intriguing sound often used in jazz music.
To understand how this chord is constructed, it is helpful to gain some knowledge of the G diminished scale and its structure. Below is a table showing all of its notes with their interval qualities as well as chords based on this scale (e.g. G-dim-7th chord). For further exploration of this scale please use the links on the right side of this page.
Example 1 – Clicking this link takes you to a page which describes the chord qualities of a diminished scale, where all notes 1st through 7th are flattened by a minor third. Next is G-dim-7th chord notes followed by list of chords made possible using this scale.
Use our chords calculator to figure out what chords can be constructed from a particular key, which is particularly helpful if you’re learning how to build triads and diminished seventh chords in G. Additionally, this can also be used as an aid when creating bass lines for songs.
Note that although this scale produces diminished chords, they will still be triads. When building diminished chords it’s essential that both roots of each triad and of the diminished scale have the same size; this will ensure harmony is as near perfect as possible and enhance harmony within your chords.
Inversions
G dim 7 chord is composed of the notes G#-B-D-F on the piano keyboard. These represent first, flat third, flat fifth, and double flat seventh scale degrees from G# major scale; it’s commonly known as semitone diminished seven chord.
The semitone diminished seven chord has an unique sonority often heard in classical music. This characteristic can be traced to its use with tonic triads; its members tend to resolve into their pitches quickly and effortlessly for smooth and consistent voice-leading. Furthermore, its leading tone (G# in this instance) can be pulled upwards towards scale degree 1 while its seventh falls down toward 5 as if pulled by scale degree 5.
G dim 7 can be inverted into four distinct rootless chords that all use b9s: Abdim7 (F, G#, B and D), Ebdim7 (F# G# A B and D), and Ddim7. Each chord shares similar sound quality and resolution while still offering plenty of musical options when played differently.
These chords can all serve as secondary dominant chords in various settings, as their roots lie in diatonic chords that use dominant functions of keys as foundations. For instance, Gdim7 could be played as G7b9 or E7b9 to pull towards C and A respectively.
However, the ambiguous nature of dim7 chords makes them hard to identify in musical context without prior knowledge of their harmonic context and underlying harmony. One effective method for identifying them as secondary dominant chords is by looking at where the chord resolves to and its enharmonic counterparts – for instance Cdim7 can resolve into Ebdim7 and in D minor it could resolve into A7(b9) – both being secondary dominants within that key.
Tuning
G sharp diminished seventh chord (gdim7 or GDim7) is a four-note chord composed of the notes G#, B, D and F. This chord can be created by stacking scale degree 1st, b3rd b5th & bb7 of G# major scale in a specific pattern as seen below on piano diagram and using each scale degree note’s interval number to calculate chord note names later.
Individual scale degree notes each possess individual note interval qualities such as diminished, minor, major, perfect and augmented intervals that reflect possible adjustments (flat or sharp accidentals) to note pitches. To learn more about these chord qualities and their short interval names / abbrevations as well as calculating them from scale notes in Step One click any of the links below.
To create a G dim 7 chord, we should employ the fully diminished seventh chord formula (1-b3-b5-bb7). To do this, add two half-tones/semitones/whole tones / half tones to our root G# to reduce it two half tones or semitones down until we reach bb7; adjust G# major scale notes accordingly:
Now we can apply this same process to the ukulele, beginning with G# major scale. We must first locate the root of G# dim 7 chord by using its G sharp diminished seventh chord shape; by placing our index finger at the 3rd fret of top G-string and barre all six strings simultaneously with one finger, this will locate its root; from here we can move this finger along fretboard until we find where its other frets for this chord are situated (in this instance between 4th and 5th fret of B string b string frets 4th and 5th frets in order to build rest of G# dim 7 chord). From this initial foundation we can build all parts of it chord as we wish!