C°7
Character: suspense
- CRtriad
- E♭♭3triad
- G♭♭5triad
- B𝄫𝄫7add
7 ways to play C°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 2 3 1 2 1 2Notes G♭ C E♭ B𝄫Intervals ♭5 1 ♭3 𝄫7Base triadC diminished, 2nd inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 4 5 4 5Notes G♭ C E♭ B𝄫Intervals ♭5 1 ♭3 𝄫7Base triadC diminished, 2nd inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 3 4 2 4 xNotes C G♭ B𝄫 E♭Intervals 1 ♭5 𝄫7 ♭3Base triadC diminished, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 𝄫7th takes the root’s string.
Frets 5 6 4 5 x xNotes B𝄫 E♭ G♭ CIntervals 𝄫7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadC diminished, 1st inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 7 8 7 8Notes B𝄫 E♭ G♭ CIntervals 𝄫7 ♭3 ♭5 1Base triadC diminished, 1st inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 8 9 10 8 10 8Notes G♭ C E♭ B𝄫Intervals ♭5 1 ♭3 𝄫7Base triadC diminished, 2nd inversion
The 𝄫7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 8 9 7 8 x xNotes C G♭ B𝄫 E♭Intervals 1 ♭5 𝄫7 ♭3Base triadC diminished, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 𝄫7th takes the root’s string.
The construction rules C°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 C
C°7 chord questions
What notes are in C°7?
C°7 is spelled C E♭ G♭ B𝄫: C is the root, E♭ is the ♭3rd, G♭ is the ♭5th, B𝄫 is the 𝄫7th.
What is the formula of C°7?
1 ♭3 ♭5 𝄫7. It is a C diminished triad with the 𝄫7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play C°7 on guitar?
This page shows 7 voicings of C°7, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.