Fdim7

Fdim7 is F, Ab, Cb and D, a diminished seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 1x0101, lowest string first.

Also written F°7, Fo7 or F diminished 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Fdim7 on the guitar, and 36 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 1x0101, 123131, xx3434, xx6767, x89797, x-x-9-10-9-10, 13-x-12-13-12-13, 13-14-15-13-15-13.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Fdim7 has 1x010x, x8x797, 13-x-12-13-12-x, 1564xx, x-8-12-13-12-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Fdim7 has x2313x, xx0101, 1201xx, xx3434, 4534xx, x5646x, 7867xx, xx6767.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Fdim7 has x2x131, 1x010x, 4x343x, x5x464, 7x676x, x8x797, 10-x-9-10-9-x, x-11-x-10-12-10.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Fdim7 has 453400, x56460, 4x3430, 7x6760, 440000, x56000.

Tensions. A shell of Fdim7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (G), the 11 (Bb), the b13 (Db) and the maj7 (E).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.