A°7
Character: suspense
- ARtriad
- C♭3triad
- E♭♭5triad
- G♭𝄫7add
8 ways to play A°7
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 9 10 8 10 xNotes G♭ C E♭ AIntervals 𝄫7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadA diminished, 1st inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 11 12 10 11 10 11Notes E♭ A C G♭Intervals ♭5 1 ♭3 𝄫7Base triadA diminished, 2nd inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 0 1 2 1 2Notes E♭ A C G♭Intervals ♭5 1 ♭3 𝄫7Base triadA diminished, 2nd inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 2 3 1 2 x xNotes G♭ C E♭ AIntervals 𝄫7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadA diminished, 1st inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 4 5 4 5Notes G♭ C E♭ AIntervals 𝄫7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadA diminished, 1st inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 5 6 7 5 7 5Notes E♭ A C G♭Intervals ♭5 1 ♭3 𝄫7Base triadA diminished, 2nd inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 5 6 4 5 x xNotes A E♭ G♭ CIntervals 1 ♭5 𝄫7 ♭3Base triadA diminished, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 𝄫7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x 0 7 8 7 8Notes A E♭ G♭ CIntervals 1 ♭5 𝄫7 ♭3Base triadA diminished, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 𝄫7th takes the root’s string.
The construction rules A°7 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Diminished 7th in every key
More chords on A
A°7 chord questions
What notes are in A°7?
A°7 is spelled A C E♭ G♭: A is the root, C is the ♭3rd, E♭ is the ♭5th, G♭ is the 𝄫7th.
What is the formula of A°7?
1 ♭3 ♭5 𝄫7. It is a A diminished triad with the 𝄫7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play A°7 on guitar?
This page shows 8 voicings of A°7, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.