Voicings · D♯°7 · Guitar
D♯°7 is spelled D♯ – F♯ – A – C (1 ♭3 ♭5 ?) — passing chords between diatonic chords, and as a 7♭9 without its root. Here are 3 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
Take the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 5-6-4-5 (position 2).
Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G-B, frets 2-1-2-1.
Root, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings D-B-e, frets 1-1-2.
Reference
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♯ | unison |
| ♭3 | F♯ | minor 3rd |
| ♭5 | A | tritone |
| ? | C | major 6th |
Arpeggio: D♯°7 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: E♭ Diminished (whole–half).
Common questions
D♯, F♯, A, C — chord tones 1 ♭3 ♭5 ?.
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings D, B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like D♯°7.
Start from the close voicing D♯ F♯ A C and drop the second note from the top an octave: A – D♯ – F♯ – C. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
D♯°7 is passing chords between diatonic chords, and as a 7♭9 without its root. Its character is symmetrical, restless.
Keep going
Same chord on piano · Diminished 7th hub.
Other chords from D♯