Common-tone Diminished Seventh Chord
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The diminished seventh chord is a four-note chord (a
seventh chord A seventh chord is a chord (music), chord consisting of a triad (music), triad plus a note forming an interval (music), interval of a Interval (music), seventh above the chord's root (chord), root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" ...
) composed of a
root note In the music theory of harmony, the root is a specific note that names and typifies a given chord. Chords are often spoken about in terms of their root, their quality, and their extensions. When a chord is named without reference to quality, it ...
, together with a
minor third In music theory, a minor third is a interval (music), musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval (music)#Number, interval numb ...
, a
diminished fifth Diminished may refer to: *Diminution In Western culture, Western music and music theory, diminution (from Medieval Latin ''diminutio'', alteration of Latin ''deminutio'', decrease) has four distinct meanings. Diminution may be a form of embel ...
, and a
diminished seventh In classical music from Western culture, a diminished seventh () is an interval (music), interval produced by Diminution, narrowing a minor seventh by a chromatic semitone,Benward & Saker (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I'', p.54. ...
above the root: (1, 3, 5, 7). For example, the diminished seventh chord built on B, commonly
written Writing is the act of creating a persistent representation of language. A writing system includes a particular set of symbols called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which they encode a particular spoken language. Every written language ...
as B7, has pitches B-D-F-A: : The chord consists of a
diminished triad In music theory, a diminished triad is a triad (music), triad consisting of two minor thirds above the root (chord), root. It is a Minor chord, minor triad with a lowered (flat (music), flattened) Fifth (chord), fifth. When using Chord names and ...
plus the diminished seventh above the root. These four notes form a stack of three intervals which are all
minor third In music theory, a minor third is a interval (music), musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval (music)#Number, interval numb ...
s. Since stacking yet another minor third returns to the root note, the four inversions of a diminished seventh chord are symmetrical. The
integer notation In music, a pitch class (p.c. or pc) is a set of all pitches that are a whole number of octaves apart; for example, the pitch class C consists of the Cs in all octaves. "The pitch class C stands for all possible Cs, in whatever octave positio ...
is . Since the diminished seventh interval is
enharmonically equivalent In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that are ...
to a
major sixth In music theory, a sixth is a musical interval encompassing six note letter names or staff positions (see Interval number for more details), and the major sixth is one of two commonly occurring sixths. It is qualified as ''major'' because it ...
, the chord is enharmonically equivalent to (1, 3, 5, 6). The diminished seventh chord occurs as a leading-tone seventh chord in the
harmonic minor scale The harmonic minor scale (or Aeolian ♮7 scale) is a Scale (music), musical scale derived from the natural minor scale, with the minor seventh degree raised by one semitone to a major seventh, creating an augmented second between the sixth and ...
. It typically has
dominant function In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree () of the diatonic scale. It is called the ''dominant'' because it is second in importance to the first scale degree, the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as "So ...
and contains two diminished fifths, which often resolve inwards. The
chord notation Musicians use various kinds of chord names and symbols in different contexts to represent musical chords. In most genres of popular music, including jazz, pop, and rock, a chord name and its corresponding symbol typically indicate one or more ...
for the diminished seventh chord with C as the root is Cdim7 or C7 (or Cm65 for the enharmonic variant). The notation Cdim or C normally denotes a (three-note) diminished triad, but some jazz charts or other music literature may intend for these to denote the four-note diminished seventh chord instead.
François-Joseph Fétis François-Joseph Fétis (; 25 March 1784 – 26 March 1871) was a Belgian musicologist, critic, teacher and composer. He was among the most influential music intellectuals in continental Europe. His enormous compilation of biographical data in the ...
tuned the chord 10:12:14:17 (
17-limit tuning In music theory, limits or harmonic limits are a way of characterizing the harmony found in a piece or genre of music, or the harmonies that can be made using a particular scale. The term ''limit'' was introduced by Harry Partch, who used it to ...
).


Analysis

Music theorists have struggled over the centuries to explain the meaning and function of diminished seventh chords. Currently, two approaches are generally used. The less complex method treats the leading tone as the
root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
of the chord and the other chord members as the
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...
, fifth, and seventh of the chord, the same way other
seventh chord A seventh chord is a chord (music), chord consisting of a triad (music), triad plus a note forming an interval (music), interval of a Interval (music), seventh above the chord's root (chord), root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" ...
s are analyzed. The other method is to analyze the chord as an "incomplete dominant ninth", that is a
ninth chord In music theory, a ninth chord is a chord (music), chord that encompasses the interval (music), interval of a ninth when arranged in close and open harmony, close position with the root (chord), root in the bass (sound), bass. Heinrich Schenker ...
with its root on the dominant, whose root is missing or implied. A vii7 chord in the minor key (for example, in C minor, B–D–F–A) occurs naturally in the
harmonic minor scale The harmonic minor scale (or Aeolian ♮7 scale) is a Scale (music), musical scale derived from the natural minor scale, with the minor seventh degree raised by one semitone to a major seventh, creating an augmented second between the sixth and ...
and is equivalent to the dominant 79 chord (G–B–D–F–A) without its root. : This was already proposed by
Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
, and
Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter ...
championed this analysis. Jazz guitarist
Sal Salvador Sal Salvador (November 21, 1925 – September 22, 1999), whose name was originally Silvio Smiraglia, was an American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator. He was born in Monson, Massachusetts, United States, and began his profession ...
, and other jazz theorists, also advocated this view, rewriting chord charts to reflect this and supplying the "missing" root as part of their bass lines. The dominant ninth theory was questioned by
Heinrich Schenker Heinrich Schenker (19 June 1868 – 14 January 1935) was an Austrian music theory, music theorist #Theoretical writings, whose writings have had a profound influence on subsequent musical analysis. His approach, now termed Schenkerian analysis ...
. He explained that although there is a kinship between all univalent chords rising out of the fifth degree, the dominant ninth chord is not a real chord formation.
Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; ; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of ...
explained the diminished seventh chord as a
dominant seventh chord Domination or dominant may refer to: Society * World domination, structure where one dominant power governs the planet * Colonialism in which one group (usually a nation) invades another region for material gain or to eliminate competition * Ch ...
whose supposed fundamental bass is borrowed from the sixth degree in minor, raised a semitone producing a stack of minor thirds.Christensen, Thomas Street (2004). ''Rameau and Musical Thought in the Enlightenment'', p. 100. . Thus, in C, the dominant seventh is G7 (G–B–D–F) and the sixth degree borrowed from the minor scale produces A–B–D–F. : In his '' Treatise on Harmony'', he observed that three minor thirds and an
augmented second In Western classical music, an augmented second is an interval created by widening a major second by a chromatic semitone, spanning three semitones and enharmonically equivalent to a minor third in 12-tone equal temperament.Benward & Saker (2 ...
make up a chord where the augmented second is such that "the ear is not offended" by it. He may have been talking of the augmented second in
quarter-comma meantone Quarter-comma meantone, or -comma meantone, was the most common meantone temperament in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and was sometimes used later. In this system the perfect fifth is flattened by one quarter of a syntonic comma with ...
, a tuning he favored, which is close to the just
septimal minor third Septimal may refer to: *Septimal chromatic semitone, the interval 21:20, about 84.47 cents *Septimal comma, a small musical interval in just intonation divisible by 7 *Septimal diatonic semitone, the interval 15:14, about 119.44 cents *S ...
of 7:6.


Function


Most common functions

The most common form of the diminished seventh chord is that rooted on the
leading tone In music theory, a leading tone (also called subsemitone or leading note in the UK) is a musical note, note or pitch (music), pitch which resolution (music), resolves or "leads" to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper lea ...
– for example, in the key of C, the chord (B–D–F–A) – so its other constituents are the , , and (flat
submediant In music, the submediant is the sixth degree () of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symm ...
)
scale degrees In music theory, the scale degree is the position of a particular note on a scale relative to the tonic—the first and main note of the scale from which each octave is assumed to begin. Degrees are useful for indicating the size of intervals ...
. These notes occur naturally in the harmonic minor scale. But this chord also appears in major keys, especially after the time of J.S. Bach, where it is borrowed from the
parallel minor In music theory, a major scale and a minor scale that have the same starting note ( tonic) are called parallel keys and are said to be in a parallel relationship. Forte, Allen (1979). ''Tonal Harmony'', p.9. 3rd edition. Holt, Rinehart, and Wils ...
. The chord possesses a
dominant function In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree () of the diatonic scale. It is called the ''dominant'' because it is second in importance to the first scale degree, the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as "So ...
when rooted on the leading tone (otherwise it doesn't, but can serve other functions - see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
), and this is most straightforwardly shown when the root of a
dominant seventh chord Domination or dominant may refer to: Society * World domination, structure where one dominant power governs the planet * Colonialism in which one group (usually a nation) invades another region for material gain or to eliminate competition * Ch ...
is omitted. The remaining third, fifth and seventh of that chord form a diminished triad (whose new root is the third of the former chord), to which a diminished seventh can be added. Thus, in C (major or minor), a dominant seventh chord consisting of G–B–D–F can be replaced by a diminished seventh chord B–D–F–A. : In
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
harmony, a combination of the dominant seventh chord with its substitute diminished seventh (with G in the bass and A simultaneously in an upper voice) yields the seven flat-9 chord, which intensifies the dominant function of either a diminished seventh or dominant seventh chord. Other transformations of this kind facilitate a variety of substitutions and modulations: any of the four notes in a diminished seventh chord are ''raised'' by a
semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between ...
, that raised note is then the flat-seventh of a
half-diminished seventh chord In music theory, the half-diminished seventh chord (also known as a half-diminished chord or a minor seventh flat five chord) is a seventh chord composed of a Root (chord), root note, together with a minor third, a tritone, diminished fifth, and ...
. Similarly, if any of the four notes in the diminished seventh chord are ''lowered'' by a semitone, that lowered note is then the root of a dominant seventh chord. Diminished seventh chords may also be rooted on scale degrees other than the leading-tone, either as secondary function chords temporarily borrowed from other keys, or as
appoggiatura An appoggiatura ( , ; or ; ) is a musical ornament that consists of an added non-chord note in a melody that is resolved to the regular note of the chord. By putting the non-chord tone on a strong beat, (typically the first or third beats of ...
chords: a chord rooted on the raised second scale degree (D–F–A–C in the key of C) acts as an appoggiatura to the tonic (C major) chord, and one rooted on the raised sixth scale degree (A–C–E–G in C major) acts as an appoggiatura to the dominant (G major) chord. Such chords however, having no leading tone in relation to the chords to which they resolve, cannot properly have a dominant function. They are therefore referred to commonly as ''non-dominant diminished seventh chords'' or ''common tone diminished seventh chords'' (see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
). In jazz, the diminished seventh chord is often based on the scale degree (the flat
mediant In music, the mediant (''Latin'': "being in the middle") is the third scale degree () of a diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant.Benward & Saker (2003), p.32. In the movable do solfège system, the mediant no ...
) and acts as a
passing chord In music, a passing chord is a chord that connects, or passes between, the notes of two diatonic chords. "Any chord that moves between one diatonic chord and another one nearby may be loosely termed a passing chord. A diatonic passing chord m ...
between the mediant triad (or first-inversion tonic triad) and the
supertonic In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic ...
triad: in C major, this would be the chord progression E minor – E diminished – D minor. The chord, "plays no role in... jazz." The passing chord is used widely in
Brazilian music The music of Brazil encompasses various regional musical styles influenced by European, American, African and Amerindian forms. Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as forró, repente, coco de roda, axé, sertanejo ...
such as
choro ''Choro'' (, "cry" or "lament"), also popularly called ''chorinho'' ("little cry" or "little lament"), is an instrumental Brazilian popular music genre which originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. Despite its name, the music often has a fa ...
,
samba Samba () is a broad term for many of the rhythms that compose the better known Brazilian music genres that originated in the Afro-Brazilians, Afro Brazilian communities of Bahia in the late 19th century and early 20th century, It is a name or ...
and bossa nova.


Other functions

Another common use of the chord is as a ''sharpened subdominant with diminished seventh'' chord. This is represented by the Roman notation iv7, but in classical music is more correctly represented as vii7/V, being a very common way for a composer to approach the dominant of any key. In the key of C, this is Fdim7. It is also a common chord in
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...
music. A common
traditional jazz Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain that flourished from the 1930s to 1960s, based on the earlier New Orleans Dixieland jazz style. Prominent English trad jazz musicians such as Chris Barb ...
or
Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...
progression is IV–iv7–V7 (in C major: F–F7–G7). Another common usage of iv7 is often found in
Gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...
and jazz progressions such as in the song "
I Got Rhythm "I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the " rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes su ...
": :In C: , C C/E , F Fdim7 , C/G A7 , Dm7 G7 , One variant of the
supertonic In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic ...
seventh chord is the ''supertonic diminished seventh'' with the raised supertonic, which is
enharmonically equivalent In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that are ...
to the lowered third (in C: D = E). It may be used as a dominant substitute. Coker, Jerry (1997). ''Elements of the Jazz Language for the Developing Improvisor'', p. 82. . A diminished seventh chord may function as a ''common-tone diminished seventh chord''. In this role, a diminished seventh chord resolves to a
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
or
dominant seventh chord Domination or dominant may refer to: Society * World domination, structure where one dominant power governs the planet * Colonialism in which one group (usually a nation) invades another region for material gain or to eliminate competition * Ch ...
whose root is one of the notes of the diminished seventh chord ( common tone), the most common being the raised supertonic seventh, which resolves to the tonic in major keys (–I, shown below) and the raised submediant, which resolves to dominant triad or seventh in major keys (–V, shown right), with the altered tones resolving upward by half step in both cases.Benward, Bruce & Saker, Marilyn (2009). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. II'', pp. 220-222. Eighth Edition. . : The ct7 chord, whose function, "is simply one of embellishment," most often spelled when embellishing I or when embellishing V, is distinguished from the vii7/V chord by common tone chords resolving to I or I while vii7/V resolves to V or I. They may be confused, due to enharmonic equivalency, but resolution is a better indicator of function than spelling. In C: :ct7/I = d7 = D–F–A–C :vii7/V = f7 = F–A–C–E (= D) The diminished chord may also resolve through lowering two of the chord tones producing a supertonic seventh chord (ii7) that may lead to a conventional cadence: :


Expressive potential

During the
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
era (1600–1750), European composers became aware of the expressive potential of the diminished seventh chord. In operas and other dramatic works, the chord was frequently used to heighten the sense of passion, anger, danger or mystery. One famous example can be found in J. S. Bach's '' St. Matthew Passion'' (1737), in which he sets verses from the
Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...
, chapter 27, verses 20–21: "But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor ilateanswered and said unto them, 'Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you?' They said, 'Barabbas'." Bach sets the text so that the angry multitude's harsh reply on the word ''Barabbam'' is a diminished seventh chord: : After Bach, diminished sevenths featured regularly in music to evoke the uncanny or a sense of impending danger. A powerful diminished seventh chord heralds the resurrection of the murdered Commendatore in the final scene of
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
'' (1787). The dead man's statue comes to life and takes the Don down to Hell in one of the most chilling episodes in the entire operatic repertoire
Listen
: : In the early years of the 19th century, composers used the diminished seventh with increasing frequency. In "Die Stadt", one of his darkest and most melancholy songs from ''
Schwanengesang ''Schwanengesang'' (Swan Song), 957, is a collection of 14 songs written by Franz Schubert at the end of his life and published posthumously: # Liebesbotschaft (text: Ludwig Rellstab) # Kriegers Ahnung (Rellstab) # Frühlingssehnsucht (Rellst ...
'' (1828),
Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
conjures "the pianistic elaboration of a diminished seventh over an octave
tremolo In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are multiple types of tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note, an alternation between two different notes, or a variation in volume. Tremolos may be either ''measured'' ...
" to convey the sinister rippling of the oars as the protagonist is rowed across a lake towards the town where his lost beloved once lived. According to Edward T. Cone, "This famous arpeggiation seems to arise from nowhere to create an atmospheric prelude... and it dies away to nothing in a postlude." The song ends on the diminished seventh chord; there is no resolution, "the dissonance is terminal": : The operas of
Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...
, particularly ''
Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...
'' and '' Euryanthe'', featured many passages using this chord. The Wolf's Glen scene in ''
Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...
'' (1821) is an example. According to his early biographer,
Alexander Wheelock Thayer Alexander Wheelock Thayer (October 22, 1817 – July 15, 1897) was an American librarian and journalist who became the author of the first scholarly biography of Ludwig van Beethoven. After many updates, it was still regarded as a standard work ...
,
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
spoke disparagingly of the 'accumulation of diminished seventh chords' in ''Euryanthe'' (1823). Beethoven was himself rather fond of the chord and was well aware of its dramatic potential. Perhaps the clearest instance of the diminished seventh's power to evoke mystery and terror can be found in the passage linking the two final movements of Beethoven's ''Appassionata'' sonata, Op. 57 (1806). The placid conclusion of the andante movement is interrupted first by a slowly rolled diminished seventh
arpeggio An arpeggio () is a type of Chord (music), chord in which the Musical note, notes that compose a chord are individually sounded in a progressive rising or descending order. Arpeggios on keyboard instruments may be called rolled chords. Arpe ...
played ''
pianissimo In music, the dynamics of a piece are the variation in loudness between note (music), notes or phrase (music), phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation ...
'', followed by the same chord played an
octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...
above in a sharp, stabbing ''fortissimo''. : The final movement of
Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
's ''
Symphonie Fantastique ' (''Fantastic Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections'') Opus number, Op. 14, is a program music, programmatic symphony written by Hector Berlioz in 1830. The first performance was at the Paris Conservatoire on 5 December ...
'' reflects the influence of Weber in its copious use of diminished seventh chords to evoke the spooky atmosphere of a Witch's Sabbath: "a sinister gathering of spectres, monsters and weird, infernal mocking creatures": By the end of the 19th century, composers had used the diminished seventh so much that it became a
cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...
of musical expression and consequently lost much its power to shock and thrill. By the turn of the 20th century, many musicians were getting weary of it. In his ''Harmonielehre'' (1911),
Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
wrote:


Symmetry

Because a diminished seventh chord is composed of three stacked minor thirds which evenly divide the chromatic scale, it is symmetrical and its four inversions are composed of the same pitch classes. Understanding what inversion a given diminished seventh chord is written in (and thus finding its
root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
) depends on its
enharmonic spelling In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that a ...
. For example, Gdim7 (G–B–D–F) is
enharmonically equivalent In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that are ...
to three other inverted diminished chords with roots on the other three pitches in the chord: # Bdim7 (A–B–D–F) # Ddim7 (A–C–D–F) # Fdim7 (A–C–E–F) Nineteenth-century composers in particular often make use of this enharmonic to use these chords for modulations.
Percy Goetschius Percy Goetschius (August 10, 1853 – October 29, 1943) was an American composer, music theorist, and teacher who won international fame in the teaching of composition and music theory. Career Goetschius was born in Paterson, New Jersey. As a y ...
calls it the "enharmonic chord." Given the symmetry of the chord (and ignoring enharmonic spelling), it follows that there are only three distinct diminished seventh chords (as opposed to twelve), each a conflation of four enharmonic equivalents. Using
Piston A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder (engine), cylinder a ...
's incomplete-ninth analysis discussed above, a single diminished seventh chord, without enharmonic change, is capable of the following analyses: V, V/ii, V/III (in minor), V/iii (in major), V/iv, V/V, V/VI (in minor), V/vi (in major), V/VII (in minor). Since the chord may be enharmonically written in four different ways without changing the sound, the above can be multiplied by four, yielding a total of forty-eight possible interpretations. More conservatively, each assumed root may be used as a dominant, tonic, or
supertonic In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic ...
, giving twelve possibilities.Adela Harriet Sophia Bagot Wodehouse (1890). ''A Dictionary of Music and Musicians: (A.D. 1450–1889)'', p. 448. Macmillan and Co., Ltd. The
octatonic scale An octatonic scale is any eight-note musical scale. However, the term most often refers to the ancohemitonic symmetric scale composed of alternating whole and half steps, as shown at right. In classical theory (in contrast to jazz theory), ...
(or diminished scale), a
symmetric scale In music, a music scale can have certain symmetries, namely translational symmetry and inversional or mirror symmetry. The most prominent examples are scales which equally divides the octave. The concept and term appears to have been introduced ...
, may be conceived of as two interlocking diminished seventh chords, which may be rearranged into the
alpha chord An octatonic scale is any eight-Musical note, note musical scale. However, the term most often refers to the ancohemitonic scale, ancohemitonic symmetric scale composed of alternating major second, whole and semitone, half steps, as shown at ri ...
.


Diminished seventh chord table

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See also

* Enharmonic scale * Diminished seventh interval * Leading tone seventh chord *
Irregular resolution In music, an irregular resolution is resolution (music), resolution by a dominant seventh chord or diminished seventh chord to a chord (music), chord other than the tonic (music), tonic. Regarding the dominant seventh, there are many irregular r ...
* Half diminished chord *
Subtonic In music, the subtonic is the degree of a musical scale which is a major second, whole step below the tonic (music), tonic note. In a major key, it is a lowered, or flattened, seventh Degree (music), scale degree (). It appears as the seventh scal ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diminished Seventh Chord Seventh chords Musical symmetry