C♯ diminished seventh (C♯dim7) chord on mandolin

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

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 5medium

Position 8medium

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What the C♯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 C♯dim7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C♯	root
3	E	minor third (3 semitones)
5	G	diminished fifth (6 semitones)
7	B♭	diminished seventh (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, middle finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, ring finger (G4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭3)

Position 5

String 1 (E): fret 6, ring finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 7, little finger (E5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, index finger (G4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, middle finger (C♯4)

Position 8

String 1 (E): fret 9, ring finger (C♯6)
String 2 (A): fret 10, little finger (G5)
String 3 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, middle finger (E4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C♯dim7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D minor: vii°7

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

A7 – an incomplete dominant: the diminished chord is the top of this seventh chord
D – where it leads (leading tone → root)

Same notes

Edim7 – the same notes with a different root
Gdim7 – the same notes with a different root
B♭dim7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

C♯dim – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯dim7 chord?

C♯, E, G, B♭. The root is C♯; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, diminished fifth, diminished seventh.

What is the easiest way to play C♯dim7 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

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.

How is the C♯dim7 chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯dim7 (also written C#dim7), and its full name is C♯ diminished seventh.