Piano chord
B Diminished 7th Chord
Bdim7 is a diminished 7th chord built on B. It contains the notes B – D – F – A♭.
Bdim7
Also written: B°7
- B
- D
- F
- A♭
Notes in Bdim7
Count up from B using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the B major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Root | 1 | 0 |
| D | Minor 3rd | ♭3 | 3 |
| F | Diminished 5th | ♭5 | 6 |
| A♭ | Diminished 7th | 𝄫7 | 9 |
How to play Bdim7 on piano
- Right hand: fingers 1–2–3–5 (thumb on B).
- Left hand: fingers 5–3–2–1, or play just the root in the left hand and the other notes in the right.
- Inversions keep your hand closer to the previous chord — see below.
Bdim7 inversions
An inversion puts a different note of Bdim7 at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
Bdim7B – D – F – A♭
1st inversion
Bdim7/DD – F – A♭ – B
2nd inversion
Bdim7/FF – A♭ – B – D
3rd inversion
Bdim7/A♭A♭ – B – D – F
About diminished 7th chords
Four notes equally spaced — the most symmetrical chord in music. Its perfect symmetry creates an eerie, unresolved quality.
Sound: Eerie & dramatic
Songs that use it
- Paint It Black · The Rolling StonesRock
- Bohemian Rhapsody · QueenRock
- Eleanor Rigby · The BeatlesRock
Keys that contain Bdim7
Bdim7 is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear Bdim7 with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
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