Diminished Triad vs Diminished 7 on Guitar
The C diminished triad and the C diminished 7 share 3 notes — C, Eb, Gb. From there, the C diminished 7 adds Bbb.
Guitar · 6-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G, B, e. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 2 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 5 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 8 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 14 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 17 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 20 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7).
- A string: fret 0 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 3 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 6 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 9 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 12 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 15 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 18 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 21 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 24 Bbb (double flat 7).
- D string: fret 1 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 4 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 7 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 10 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 13 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 16 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 19 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 22 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7).
- G string: fret 2 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 5 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 8 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 11 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 14 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 17 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 20 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 23 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7).
- B string: fret 1 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 4 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 7 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 10 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 13 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 16 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 19 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 22 Bbb (double flat 7).
- e string: fret 2 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 5 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 8 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7), fret 14 Gb (flat 5 of C Diminished Triad and flat 5 of C Diminished 7), fret 17 Bbb (double flat 7), fret 20 C (root of C Diminished Triad and root of C Diminished 7), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Diminished Triad and flat 3 of C Diminished 7).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
Both scales above are drawn on one guitar fretboard in the key of C. Notes belonging to both are drawn as a split two-color dot, so the notes they share and the notes unique to each are visible in one picture.
How the formulas differ
Scale degrees are the key-independent way to compare two scales — these stay the same in every key, and they are what actually distinguishes one scale from another.
| Scale | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Diminished Triad | R · b3 · b5 |
| Diminished 7 | R · b3 · b5 · bb7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Diminished Triad | In Diminished 7 |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| Gb | b5 | b5 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the diminished 7: Bbb (bb7)