Adim7 chord
Adim7 is A, C, E♭ and G♭: 1–♭3–♭5–♭♭7 built on A. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
x-0-1-2-1-2 · open · medium
- Notes
- A · C · E♭ · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
- First shape
- x-0-1-2-1-2
Adim7 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · A–C–E♭–G♭ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- A · C · E♭ · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
Adim7 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-3-2-3 · movable · medium
- Notes
- A · C · E♭ · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
- First shape
- 2-3-2-3
Adim7 and the chords around it
Here's what the hand does on the most common changes, on guitar and on piano.
- Adim7 → B♭ (leads up a half step)
Guitar: Adim7 (x-0-1-2-1-2) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go.
Piano: Adim7 to B♭: play B♭ in root position (B♭–D–F), while A moves up to B♭, E♭ down to D and G♭ down to F. B♭ - Adim7 → B♭m (leads up a half step)
Guitar: Adim7 (x-0-1-2-1-2) to B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the D string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go.
Piano: Adim7 to B♭m: play B♭m in root position (B♭–D♭–F), while A moves up to B♭, C up to D♭ and G♭ down to F. B♭m - Adim7 → D (a fifth down)
Guitar: Adim7 (x-0-1-2-1-2) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): move the index finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the high E string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the B string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for A and G♭, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: Adim7 to D: play D in 2nd inversion (A–D–F♯) and A and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while E♭ moves down to D. D
How Adim7 is built
Adim7 is a diminished seventh: three minor thirds stacked, so the chord divides the octave into four equal parts. That symmetry means Adim7 contains exactly the same four notes as Cdim7, D♯dim7 and F♯dim7; which name you use depends on the bass note and the key.
Count keys (black and white) from A: 3 half steps up to C, 3 half steps up to E♭ then 3 half steps up to G♭.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | root | 0 | |
| C | minor third | 3 | |
| E♭ | diminished fifth | 6 | |
| G♭ | diminished seventh | 9 |
Keys and progressions with Adim7
No major or natural minor key contains Adim7 as one of its own chords; it turns up as a passing chord on the way somewhere else.
Chords close to Adim7
- Adim7 is Adim plus G♭. Adim
Chords that share most of their notes with Adim7: Cdim7, D♯dim7, F♯dim7, Cdim, D♯dim, F♯dim.
Every A chord
Adim7 chord: questions
What notes are in the Adim7 chord?
A, C, E♭ and G♭. Adim7 is built 1–♭3–♭5–♭♭7 from A: C is the minor third, E♭ is the diminished fifth and G♭ is the diminished seventh.
How do you play Adim7 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-0-1-2-1-2 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play Adim7 on piano?
Play A, C, E♭ and G♭ with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. A sits between the last two black keys of the three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play Adim7 on ukulele?
2-3-2-3 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is Adim7 in?
No major or natural minor key contains Adim7 as one of its own chords; it turns up as a passing chord on the way somewhere else.
What's the difference between Adim7 and Adim?
Adim7 is Adim plus G♭.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.