F#dim7

F#dim7 is F#, A, C and Eb, a diminished seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 2x121x, lowest string first.

Also written F#°7, F#o7 or F# diminished 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for F#dim7 on the guitar, and 30 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 2x121x, 234242, xx4545, xx7878, x-9-10-8-10-8, x-x-10-11-10-11, 14-x-13-14-13-14.

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. F#dim7 has 2x121x, 2015xx, x-9-x-8-10-8, 14-x-13-14-13-x, 2675xx, x-9-13-14-13-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. F#dim7 has xx1212, 2312xx, x3424x, xx4545, 5645xx, x6757x, 8978xx, xx7878.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. F#dim7 has 2x121x, x3x242, 5x454x, x6x575, 8x787x, x-9-x-8-10-8, 11-x-10-11-10-x, x-12-x-11-13-11.

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. F#dim7 has 56450x.

Tensions. A shell of F#dim7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (G#), the 11 (B), the b13 (D) 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.