Gdim7 chord on piano
Gdim7 is G, B♭, D♭ and F♭. G is the white key between the first two black keys of the three. Hit Play and watch each key light as it sounds.
root position · G–B♭–D♭–F♭ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- G · B♭ · D♭ · F♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
How to play Gdim7 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from G: 3 half steps up to B♭, 3 half steps up to D♭ then 3 half steps up to F♭. Those 4 keys are Gdim7.
- Right hand: 1 on G, 2 on B♭, 3 on D♭ and 5 on F♭.
- Left hand: 5 on G, 3 on B♭, 2 on D♭ and 1 on F♭.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, black and white keys, the same pattern as Cdim7, so your hand shape carries over.
Gdim7 inversions
- root position: G–B♭–D♭–F♭. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: B♭–D♭–F♭–G, with B♭ at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: D♭–F♭–G–B♭, D♭ lowest. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: F♭–G–B♭–D♭ (F♭ in the bass). Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Moving between Gdim7 and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold Gdim7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A♭ (leads up a half step): Gdim7 to A♭: play A♭ in root position (A♭–C–E♭), while G moves up to A♭, D♭ down to C and F♭ down to E♭. A♭ on piano
- G♯m (leads up a half step): Gdim7 to G♯m: play G♯m in root position (G♯–B–D♯), while G moves up to G♯, B♭ up to B and F♭ down to D♯. G♯m on piano
- C (a fifth down): Gdim7 to C: play C in 2nd inversion (G–C–E) and G and E stay under the same fingers, while D♭ moves down to C. C on piano
Gdim7 is a diminished seventh: three minor thirds stacked, so the chord divides the octave into four equal parts. Gdim7 can stand in for a dominant seventh a half step below, which is why it links chords so smoothly. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
Practice Gdim7 in two minutes
Start with a broken chord, G B♭ D♭ F♭ D♭ B♭ G, then play it solid. Next, walk up through G–B♭–D♭–F♭ → B♭–D♭–F♭–G → D♭–F♭–G–B♭ → F♭–G–B♭–D♭ without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of Gdim7
Gdim7 is a diminished seventh chord, 1–♭3–♭5–♭♭7 from G. Root position, from the bottom: how Gdim7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| B♭ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| D♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | diminished fifth |
| F♭ | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | diminished seventh |
Gdim7 in context
Gdim7 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Gdim7 on guitar and Gdim7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Related G chords on piano
Other diminished seventh chords
Gdim7 on piano: questions
What notes are in Gdim7 on piano?
G, B♭, D♭ and F♭: G (white key), B♭ (black key), D♭ (black key) and F♭ (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Gdim7 on piano?
Press G, B♭, D♭ and F♭ together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on G, 2 on B♭, 3 on D♭ and 5 on F♭.
What are the inversions of Gdim7?
1st inversion (B♭–D♭–F♭–G), 2nd inversion (D♭–F♭–G–B♭) and 3rd inversion (F♭–G–B♭–D♭), after root position (G–B♭–D♭–F♭). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Gdim7 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, black and white keys, the same pattern as Cdim7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Gdim7. Updated September 2026.