G diminished seventh (Gdim7) chord on mandolin

Looking for the Gdim7 chord on mandolin? It is a diminished seventh chord (three stacked minor thirds), made of four notes: G – B♭ – D♭ – F♭.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 5medium

Position 8medium

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 Gdim7 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 Gdim7 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): open (F♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, middle finger (D♭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 (F♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, index finger (G4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, middle finger (D♭4)

Position 8

String 1 (E): fret 9, ring finger (D♭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 (F♭4)

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.

Similar chords and substitutes

If Gdim7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E♭7 – an incomplete dominant: the diminished chord is the top of this seventh chord
A♭ – 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
B♭dim7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

Gdim – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Gdim7 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Gdim7 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 Gdim7 chord written?

The chord symbol is Gdim7, and its full name is G diminished seventh.