Diminished Chord Voicings

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The most effective voicing for a diminished chord generally is to play two or three notes from the chord, plus one note a whole step above one of the chord tones. For example, a C#dim chord consists of C#, E, G, and Bb, so one possible voicing would include the C# and E, plus C, which is a whole step above Bb:

[EXAMPLE]

Another possibility would be C#, E, and G, plus A, which is a whole step above G:

[EXAMPLE]

The examples at the top of this page show the most common shapes for this voicing. Note that the added non-chord tone is a major seventh above the root. Since a diminished chord is symmetric, whenever a diminished chord appears, you may use a voicing for any of the three other corresponding diminished chords. For example, when an Ebdim chord is specified, you may use voicings for Cdim, F#dim, or Adim as well:

[EXAMPLE]

If a diminished chord is substituting for a dominant seventh chord, as described in the chapter on Harmony, then any voicing for the corresponding dominant seventh chord may be used instead. For example, in the following progression, the C#dim chord is substituting for A7, so any A7 voicing may be used:

[EXAMPLE]

Conversely, when a dominant seventh chord is specified, a corresponding diminished chord voicing may be used instead. For example, in the following progression, a Bdim chord may be substituted for the G7 chord, so a Bdim voicing may be used:

[EXAMPLE]

Copyright 2000 Outside Shore Music
Authored by Marc Sabatella

Diminished Chord Voicings