How to play the Gdim7 chord on guitar

The Gdim7 chord, pronounced "G diminished seventh," is a complex and intriguing guitar chord. It's characterized by a tense, unstable sound that adds a sense of dissonance and tension to music. This chord is often used in jazz, blues, and classical genres to create dramatic transitions or to evoke a feeling of unease. Notable songs featuring Gdim7 include "The Unforgiven" by Metallica and "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.

The most common way to play the Gdim7 chord on guitar is as a barre chord on the 3rd fret.

Follow these finger positions to play a Gdim7 chord on your guitar:

1. Place your index finger on the 3rd fret, barring all six strings.
2. Place your middle finger on the 4th fret of the 2nd (B) string.
3. Place your ring finger on the 5th fret of the 4th (D) string.
4. Place your pinky finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd (G) string.

To strum this chord, play all six strings together in a downward motion, starting from the low E string (6th string) and moving towards the high E string (1st string).

If you're a beginner looking to play a simpler version of the Gdim7 chord, try playing the open version instead. Place your first finger on the first fret of the B string, your second finger on the second fret of the G string, and strum only the top four strings (D, G, B, and high E).

While playing a barre chord version of Gdim7 allows you to easily change to other chords that use a similar shape, it's not among the most common barre chord shapes guitarists learn early on. I'd suggest focusing on more essential barre chords when starting out.

The Gdim7 chord is often used as a passing chord to add tension and dissonance to a progression, creating a sense of unease or melancholy. Some common chord progressions featuring Gdim7 include:

• i - idim7 - V7 - i (Gm - Gdim7 - D7 - Gm) Used in "Round Midnight" and "Misty"
• I - #idim7 - ii - V7 (G - G#dim7 - Am - D7)
• vi - vidim7 - ii - V7 (Em - Edim7 - Am - D7) Used in "I'll Remember April"
• I - IV - #ivdim7 - V7 (G - C - C#dim7 - D7)
• ii - V7 - Idim7 - I (Am - D7 - Gdim7 - G)

To master the Gdim7 chord, start by playing each note individually, focusing on clean execution. Once comfortable, practice transitioning between Gdim7 and other common chords like G, C, and D7.

Next, incorporate Gdim7 into chord progressions and songs. A great example is the jazz standard "All the Things You Are," which features Gdim7 in the progression Fm7 - Bbm7 - Eb7 - Gdim7 - Abmaj7. By applying the chord to real musical contexts, you'll develop fluency and familiarity with Gdim7, making it easier to use in your own playing.

Here are 10 popular songs you can play with the Gdim7 chord:

1. And I Love Her by The Beatles (Am, Em, Dm, G, Gdim7, C)
2. Michelle by The Beatles (Fm, Dm, G7, C, A7, D7, Gm, Gdim7)
3. Cry Me a River by Julie London (Am, Dm, E7, Am, F, Gdim7, E7)
4. Misty by Erroll Garner (Eb, Cm7, Fm7, Bb7, Eb, Edim7, Gdim7, Fm7, Bb7)
5. God Bless the Child by Billie Holiday (Gm7, C7, Fm7, Bb7, Ebmaj7, Dm7, Gdim7, C7)
6. Ain't Misbehavin' by Fats Waller (C, E7, A7, Dm, Fm, Gdim7, C, G7)
7. Body and Soul by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton & Johnny Green (Dm7, G7, Cmaj7, Bm7b5, E7, Am7, D7, Gm7, Gdim7, C6)
8. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg & Jay Gorney (C, Gdim7, Dm7, G7, C, Am7, Dm7, Dm7, G7)
9. Dream a Little Dream of Me by Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt & Gus Kahn (G, B7, Em, G, Gdim7, D7)
10. How Insensitive by Antonio Carlos Jobim (Dm, Gdim7, Cmaj7, C7, B7, Bbmaj7, A7)