Do you need to know how to play the diminished 7th chord?

In this lesson, we’ll demystify diminished chords by breaking them down to their basic elements and put them to use in a cool, bluesy way.

Chord theory sounds scary to a lot of blues pickers but having a grasp on the basics of chord construction can pay huge dividends no matter what your skill level.

I really enjoy getting inside a chord and knowing how it’s constructed, what it leads to and stuff like that. It helps me get inside the music and I suppose it helps me build a war chest of sounds to call upon when the right situation arises. I think of the diminished 7th chord in that way. It’s not a chord quality I use in every blues tune, but it’s an interesting sound to have at my disposal.

Trouble is, just the name is a bit offputting…diminished.

Seriously?

I get major and minor but this is just too much, Ammiright?

In this lesson, we’ll work to squash the diminished dread and help you put this chord into your playing as fast and painless as possible.

You’ll learn:

• The chord formula for the diminished 7th chord
• A cool technique to use the diminished 7th chord in a blues progression
• How to play a sweet, bluesy example using the dim7 chord

Other Related Lessons

• Major Triads: How to Construct Major Chords | TB026
• What Every Guitar Player Should Know About Roman Numerals
• Use this Simple Technique to Liven Up Your Blues | TB165
• ii-V-I Progression in the Turnaround