Position 1 / 4

This chord has 4 voicings across the fretboard. Use the arrows to see each shape and fingering — and tap any dot on the diagram to hear that note.

Beginner

Cdim7 Guitar Chord

A fully diminished seventh chord with an eerie, symmetrical quality. Cdim7 is essential for classical and jazz harmony.

Also known as

  • C°7
  • C °7
  • C dim7
  • C diminished 7th
  • C diminished seventh

How to Play This Chord

Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the strings, from low E (left) to high E (right), and the horizontal lines are the frets. Numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (pinky). An X means don't play that string; an O means play it open. A bar spanning multiple strings means one finger presses across all of them at once — this is known as a barre chord.

Tips & Tricks

Because diminished 7th chords are symmetrical (every note is a minor 3rd apart), the same Cdim7 shape repeats every three frets. This means you already know the shape in multiple positions — just slide it up by three frets and you get the same chord.

There are many ways to play this chord. Try these:

eBGDAE 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
eBGDAE 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
eBGDAE 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1
eBGDAE 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2

See how Cdim7 works with other chords — Progression Generator