B♭ diminished seventh (B♭dim7) chord on guitar

Looking for the B♭dim7 chord on guitar? It is a diminished seventh chord (three stacked minor thirds), made of four notes: B♭ – D♭ – F♭ – A𝄫. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ diminished seventh (A♯dim7).

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

E shape, fret 6hard

D shape, fret 8medium

Position 11medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the B♭dim7 chord sounds like

A diminished seventh is three stacked minor thirds, so it is symmetrical: four different roots give the same notes. A dramatic, tense passing chord.

Notes of the B♭dim7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B♭	root
3	D♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	F♭	diminished fifth (6 semitones)
7	A𝄫	diminished seventh (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version

String 1 (e): open (F♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, ring finger (D♭4)
String 3 (G): open (A𝄫3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (F♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 1, index finger (B♭2)
String 6 (E): not played

E shape, fret 6, barre at fret 6

String 1 (e): fret 6, index finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 8, little finger (A𝄫4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, index finger (D♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, ring finger (B♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, middle finger (F♭3)
String 6 (E): fret 6, index finger (B♭2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 6; your other fingers press the higher frets.

D shape, fret 8

String 1 (e): fret 9, little finger (D♭5)
String 2 (B): fret 8, middle finger (A𝄫4)
String 3 (G): fret 9, ring finger (F♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing B♭dim7 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a B♭dim7 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 1
shape: Adim7

Capo: fret 6
shape: Edim7

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Similar chords and substitutes

If B♭dim7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯7 – an incomplete dominant: the diminished chord is the top of this seventh chord
B – where it leads (leading tone → root)

Same notes

C♯dim7 – the same notes with a different root
Edim7 – the same notes with a different root
Gdim7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

B♭dim – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭dim7 chord?

B♭, D♭, F♭, A𝄫. The root is B♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, diminished fifth, diminished seventh.

What is the easiest way to play B♭dim7 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Adim7 shape at fret 1 or a Edim7 shape at fret 6.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.