Message to beginner players! As an Advanced player I can tell you 100pct. Stick with this channel! You don't want to get to an advanced level of playing,but still be missing some Very important stuff.Follow this Great teacher, and you'll be Happy you did.I'm glad I found your channel today.Excellent stuff. Grazi!
This channel opens up so many possibilities, and allows players to pick and choose musical concepts they can integrate with rather than stolidly try to shoehorn into the musical path they may already be on. It’s a truly creative (but musically sound) approach to adding new colours to the harmonic pallet. Thank you.
I’ve been playing for 35+ years and I can identify music when I hear it. Diminished, Harmonic Minor etc. I don’t read, I only play by ear and have done a lot with a little. This lesson here, this has explained a whole lot and unlocked things I knew to be true from listening to Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian etc....but could never quite get under my fingers. Thank you. This was the best, most easily explained lesson I’ve ever had and I feel weird that I didn’t pay you.
This is great practical teaching. I don't mean the content though that is very interesting and really helpful, I mean just one simple point. I would guess from that lovely rolling accent that English isn't your first language? Like so many good foreign English speakers you have spent time bothering to get your grammar to a level better than most native English speakers. That's the forgotten purpose of grammar, it isn't there as a random "rule", it makes what you say crystal clear and unambiguous. I also noted that all of the spelling in what you needed to write was spot on too. I take my hat off to you. Your lesson was more easily and comfortably followed and taken on board because of that simple thing. No "DOODS!". No "FAR OUT MAN". And every single sentence did NOT start with "So" and contain at least three "like"s. Count me in for more of this.
Albert: I am so gratified to hear someone mention the ubiquitous and supremely annoying use of "SO" at the start of every sentence; as if it were some kind of crutch speakers must seize upon to make them grab your attention. Thank you from the bottom of my diaphragm!
@@paulengland5474 I love the "Look". It signals they have run out of standard bullshit and may be forced to stop talking soon. Look, Like and So; good grief....
Hi albert!!!!!!!, I couldn't agree more.... his clarity of vernacular, diction and vocabulary put a picture in my head like a rocket going the crystal clear conceptual moon!!!!!!!!! his rhetoric is genius!!!!!!!!!! more please!!!!!!!
Bravo! Music theory is usually incomprehensible (because the teachers are unable to imagine what their pupils know and do not know). This looks very well done.
Writing these ideas on the board is very helpful. You can pause the video then read and think over the concept making sure you understand it before moving on. No wonder this video has almost 500k views.
One very small quibble - this presentation offers the mechanical "how", without the theoretical "why". Bdim resolves to C BECAUSE Bdim is the same notes (minus the root note G) as G7flat9. G7flat9 functions as a dominant chord G7, which naturally resolves to a C chord. This lesson presents a slight variation of an "authentic" cadence (V - I), perhaps the most common progression in Western music.
That explanation kinda leaves more question... Saying G7 naturally resolves to C is like saying what he said that the dim wants to resolve to the note half step above it. Isn't the dim represent pretty much the 7th degree of major so it want to resolve to root or it's relative minor? Or is it that flat 5 that is pulling your ear to that major/minor sound? I'm not dissing your explanation, I'm seeking more clarification to understand it better. Is there a formula for its proper use or is it just a straight forward knowing which chord it resolves?
I've been self taught for 55yrs since the age of about 10 & took a lesson here or there but mostly learned by writing my own pieces & working with well schooled musicians & its served me well if not swiftly...but just peeking in on this diminished chord & melody trick I think I've found a true teacher...I'll be back but many thanks in the meantime because now I'm going to play around with this trick!!! thanks nick
Diminished chords can also be used to lead into a dominant chord like this: Lets say you are in the key E minor and end up on a F#° (F#-A-C-Eb). From there you could drop the C down one H.S to B, giving you the chord B7 in second inversion (F#-A-B-D#, note that the diminished 7th Eb is effectively the same note as D#), which can then lead back to Em (or E if you so wish). This is basically a good ol' 2-5-1. But because the original F#° is a "symmetrical" chord, you could view any note therein as being the base note - it is effectively the same chord as C° in second inversion (Gb-Bbb-C-Eb). Let's perform the same operation here as before, except this time moving the F#/Gb down one H.S to F, which yields a F7 (F-A-C-Eb), which gives a 2-5-1 to Bb, major or minor. Modulating from E minor to Bb minor is pretty spicy though, so idk how useful it is :^P tl;dr: Moving any note in a diminished chord down a H.S produces a 7th chord, which could be used as a dominant. To be fair, this accomplishes the same thing as was demonstrated in the video, just with more steps ;^) (and more oriented towards modulation). Also, sorry for using double flats.
I can’t stress enough how grateful I am I found this channel. This is what the internet was made for, thank you for your work. Always immediately applicable to the guitar.
me three.. Moreover, it's nice how when a *guitarist* discusses a bit of theory framed in such a way as to be accessible to musicians in general (i.e., to *keyboardists* too); what then comes through is the real technique, the true practicality of that little gem of knowledge.
The fact that ANY chord from a modulation can have secondary function (as converse to primary function - Ddom7 being of the primary function of ii in C while in secondary function with temporary tonic of Gmaj it is the V) for this integrity and extrapolationally as I have said to leave room for the hd7 built on the 5th of the temporary tonic coming from the definitive minor as secondary, we should call these "leading diminished chords". Oh and thanks! I never thought about using them in arpeggios for lead.
That C°7 can also transform to B7, D7 (third inversion), F7 (second inversion), or A-flat7 (first inversion). One will see that the moving tone does so downward by semitone, forming the root of the arrival dominant. Viz. Chopin op.28/4 for ad nauseam display of this "Conversion Dominant" in action.
i'm amazed at how _all_ the diminished chords you placed in between the base chords in the progression sound good and cohesive, i was completely expecting the new progression to sound all convoluted. great video!!
Tommaso. This is by far and away, the BEST explanation of diminished chords and their uses that I have ever come across. I'm definitely going to check out your course. Thanks for this video!
A few days ago I discovered the diminished ones - better: discovered them for me. They expand the possibilities quite nicely and what I play finally sounds interesting again - for me. Keep making these nice lessons!
My first encounter with dim7 chord was when I learned to play Paul McCartney solo ballad "I'm Carrying". It's simple - D, Fdim7, Em7, A7sus4, but this dim chord made it so bright, refined and angelic. It brought a classical touch to it. When I first played it I couldn't believe my ears - sounded so unusual and gorgeous. I think that dim7 is really a nice trick to add a retro, classical, cozy, jazzy flavor, depending on a context. You explained it all in a very consice way, thank you!
broooooooo this just opened so many doors for me, i listen to a lot of classical and i have always heard progressions like this but never really understood the relation. so thank you for this! subscribed instantly!
I listen to many people explaining the diminished 7th chords I got discouraged because I couldn't understand them. But you did such a great job I can explained it to any one now thank you . keep. up the good work. God blessed you.
+1, Tommaso! Rag-time: C7 F7 C7 A7 D7 G7 C etc., with variations. Slide in a diminished chord or run anywhere you damn please! But, don't overdo it. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
This concept is so deep and simple at the same time, only a Profesor can tell You something like this, brings balance to the color / resolution/rest/ notes, thank you Prof. This is the very key!
What an excellent lesson. Concept lessons like this save me so much time. You have saved me a ton of time over the last couple of years. If I am ever in Edmonton again, lunch is on me. Maybe two lunches. I already owe you one for the note memorization lesson. Thanks man.
Mankind was not able to make time machines or to travel in the speed of light until now. But who needs these silly stuff when you can use diminished chords to take you to other dimensions? Great explanation as always, Tommaso! 👍👍❤️
I've been sensing that something is missing in my chord jazz progressions. Now, I discovered something new to add more color to my compositions. Thank you.
You just opened a whole new area of the left hand of my 120 bass accordion and I haven't even thought about it in like a month. After a little while I can now construct nice chord progressions using the 7th diminished chord. Thanks so much!
This is awesome. Been studying songwriting for years. So anything to help me get the sounds in my head onto a track or paper faster is amazing. Thank you.
The best explanation of dim7 chords Ive seen. I play a lot of II-V-I jazz chords around the neck. Your technique (or trick) is a different approach for the same effect.. Thanks.
This may be the best video I've seen on how to use Diminished Chords - Easy to understand and use right away. Excellent lesson! I'll definitely be watching more of your videos. Thanks
One of the progressions I discovered on my own is to play the diminished 7 chord on the top 4 strings (mute the other two), then slide up 3 frets, then another 3 frets, then eventually one fret at a time. The first two movements give you a different inversion of the chord, with the effect that the chord sounds the same, but it also sounds like you have moved up in pitch; i.e., you're going somewhere and going nowhere. I usually finish the progression with a dominant 7th chord, which is almost a resolution, then the tonic. Another way to use the symmetry of the diminished 7 was used by John Lennon in "Because" ... The first time, a certain dim7 resolves to one chord, and the second time it resolves to another chord. Modulation by ambiguity!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your teaching method. You get right to the heart of things with clear explanations, but also still pleasant to watch/listen to. Thank you!
Thanks for this, not a guitarist but I'm OBSESSED with diminished chords and how to use them and this gave me lots of inspiration, especially the idea about dim7 chords resolving to any chord who's root note is a HS above any of the notes in the diminished chord...got a sub from me
Thank you! Your ability to break down complex musical concepts clearly and practically is truly a gift.And your accent is delightful. Thank you for making the internet a better place.
This is the most useful information about diminished 7th chords I have seen in a long time, thank you for being so concise. F.Y.I. If one flats any note in diminished 7th, the result is a 7th chord.
This sounds a lot like Barry Harris' bebop theory! He talks a bunch about the three diminished chords and how they all function together. For example each diminished chord can be played over a bass note one note under any of the notes in the chord making it a dominant b9 chord. (e.g. c diminished with a B in the bass is a B7b9) and this resolves to either E, G, Bb or Db as you said. Each diminished chord has 4 possible bass notes to make them dominant b9 chords, he calls these brothers and sisters. You can use them interchangeably and stuff it's pretty cool.
@broken glass Yes but this is a good place to start for people who hve never done it before because there’s some theory behind it- that’s what theory is for! It’s basically a paved path you can follow but you can also go and make your own paths ya feel? It’s just nice to have some paths to start with
Great lesson. I knew how to use diminished seventh chords in a few progressions (like IM7, I#dim, IIm7) but did not know that simple rule of how diminished chords resolve. The excellence of this video has prompted me to consider your courses, when I have the money and time to devote to them.
When writing your fully diminished 7th chords out, It may help the new learners know the difference between a diminish triad chord and diminished 7th chord in labeling the difference as you would the the difference between C and Cmaj7. Just a side note. But this is a great video to share.
Thanks for a brilliantly explained video! After watching it , I discovered that these diminished 7th chords can sometimes also connect to chords 1/2 step below as in the song Private Investigations by Dire Straits ie E diminished 7th to A minor chord.
Thanks for sharing. Very cool simple way to add a lot of color. One of the things I like about diminished chords is the revoicing is automatically inverted just by sliding up every 3 frets. So you don't have to think about it. Same with augmented every 4 frets.
This is both the clearest explanation and the most easy to apply that I have found after much looking. My search is done. Thank you!! Liked, subscribed, and instant fan.
I've always liked dim chords, I think they make major chords sound bittersweet and min chords scary or gypsy jazzy. Thanks for this video, it's very clear and expands on everything I never actually figured out and wrote down 🙃👌🥰
This video showed up on my feed and I clicked on it before realizing it was for guitar players. I play keyboards. But I watched it anyway. The concepts of theory are the same and I and was able to apply what you said to playing keyboard. Amazing! Thank you. Now I need to check out your other videos. Awesome!
I think this was clearer and more comprehensive then Jens taught it. Thank you very much, again! I think this explains some of the jams from Esther, by Phish (a musically worthy, whimsically lyrical song).
Bonus tip for dim 7 and 7th chord: you can play one or more notes from the resolving chord over the diminished chord as a suspension and vice versa. Take Fdim7 (F Ab B D) in the key of C. You can move D up to E and you get FdimMaj7. Resolve the E down to D, then resolve the Fdim chord down to Am7/E. You get a melody on top and harmony underneath. You can borrow notes of the diminished over notes of the tonic chord as well. You will find certain chords that before, seemed difficult to use, now make perfect sense in context: MinMaj7, DimMaj7, Maj7#5, MinMaj9, etc.
That was awesome video production work you did on this lesson. I love how you visually tie what we're hearing to what you wrote out on the board. The speeding up the writing is a brilliant tactic and helps to keep the focus on grasping the concept and not waiting for long hand writing out. Subscribed
Subscribed half-way through the video. Very well done. I appreciate that it's detailed without sounding either repetitive or overwhelming, a common issue I find on TH-cam videos. I look forward to more viewings.
Thank you for sharing. Want to just add some rudiments. There is a specific key relation to each diminished chord. The dominating chords of C; is G, F, and the modulation chord is Bdim. The diminished chord for each key is at the leading tone; the major seventh. Example Bdim for C, F#dim for G, Edim for F, etc. In my "neo classical" compositions, I've used diminished chords in chains to modulate. Modulation chords are chords that have specific selection of dissonance that resolve in another keys. Purpose of modulation chords is for changing into another key. You can do this several times within an extended cadential pattern.
I just now found your channel here on youtube. You are amazing! I know only basic music theory, but I actually followed you and understood you every step of the way, and never got lost throughout this great lesson. You explained it so simply, which is a rare thing, unfortunately. Thank you! And, of course, I liked and subscribed, as well...
This is extremely useful, you have an instant subscription! Looking forward to watching more of your content. I've been struggling to understand the usage of diminished chords for quite some time and this is the first time I've ever seen it presented so practically that I can make use of it right away.
Your tutorials are so helpful. I go back to them time after time. You break things down in an understandable manner, and make them interesting at the same time. I really can’t thank you enough.
absolutely the best !!!!!!! This simple yet beautiful piece of musical engineering has fuelled my inspiration!!!!! I absolutely adore your musical mind..... I'm shredding on this for a while....!!!!!!!!
If you take any one note in a dim7th chord down 1/2 step, it becomes a dominant 7th chord: C - Eb (D#) - Gb (F#) - A. From these four notes, if you take "C" down 1/2 step, you get a B7. If you "Eb" down 1/2 step, you get a D7 chord. If you take "Gb" down 1/2 step, you get an F7. Finally, if you take "A" down 1/2 step you can an Ab7. This is why the diminished 7th is capable of resolving to so many other chords. Another way to look at it is that C - Eb - Gb - A is the 'top' of an Ab7 (b9) if you put Ab in the bass. Eb - Gb - A - C is the 'top' of a B7(b9) chord, (Eb = D# and Gb = F#.) In the order, Gb - A - C - Eb it's the 'top' of a D7 (b9) chord. Finally, in the order, A - C - Eb - Gb, it's the 'top' of an F7(b9) chord. I routinely, especially in minor keys, go 1/2 step above the V7 chord of the key and do a diminished 7th arpeggio. When I teach, I always talk about the magic of the diminished 7th chord. It has amazing properties. And it contains two 'devil's intervals.' Tritones aren't the devil's interval. The minor 9th interval, however, can be called devilish! Any chord built beyond a triad can have problems in certain inversions. The simplest example would be a Major 7 chord. If I voice Gma7 G -B - D - F#, that's perfectly fine. But if I voice it F# - B - D - G...all of a sudden, the soft, cushy major 7th feeling has a nasty sting to it. That's because of the minor 9th interval, F# an octave up to G. It's awful (unless used for effect) I observed this problem with inversions of 13th chords, minor 9th chords, sharp 9th chords and others. I call it 'the minor 9th rule.' This is one reason why there are a limited number of inversions for, say, a #9 chord. G7(#9) = G, B, D, F, Bb. Try voicing it as G, Bb, D, F, B...ouch! And it totally ruins the function of the chord. Ergo, the TRUE 'devil's interval' is the minor 9th. But the tritone? The tritone is purely magical! And a chord with TWO tritones (e.g. diminished 7th) is extra specially magical! Thank you for your videos. I love them!
The conversion between dim7 and dominant 7 can be understood from the fact that a "diminished 7th" chord is so named because it is a dominant 7th chord with every note but the root diminished. Thus, lowering the root (which of course is any note of the dim7 chord) puts it back to a dominant 7th, equivalent to raising the other notes back up a half step to a dominant 7th. But why didn't I think of that?
I can play over changes fairly well but I'm limited in my use of diminished flavors. I know a few patterns but that's it. This is extremely helpful for me!!! Thank you!!!
Following your lessons really helped me to differentiate m7(b5) and diminished chords. Also, where and how to use the diminished chords. I wish you did an example of this above the basic and simple examples! Like the next 2 levels type stuff!!
![How to HARMONIZE A Melody With Just 3 Chords [Music Theory Tutorial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dOVJbMipaWY/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to HARMONIZE A Melody With Just 3 Chords [Music Theory Tutorial]](/img/tr.png)
Diminished 7 chords work like a portal to wherever you wanna go.
Wanna go to another dimension
that’s why I call them portal chords
Message to beginner players! As an Advanced player I can tell you 100pct.
Stick with this channel! You don't want to get to an advanced level of playing,but still be missing some Very important stuff.Follow this Great teacher, and you'll be Happy you did.I'm glad I found your channel today.Excellent stuff. Grazi!
He apologized for it not sounding jazz yet. He is a treasure
hahaha!!
Even if I'm a pianist, this lesson clarified many unknown theory to me. Really many thanks
Tommaso, there are not enough hours in the day to apply everything that I have learned from you. Thank you!
Agreed. He's as talented as a teacher as he is as a musician.
Seems to be a super nice guy as well
Good thing learning lasts a lifetime!
C D- E- F G A- Bdim C
A B C D E [b7] secondary doms
C- Ddim Eb F- G- Ab Bb C parallel minor [borrow b3 b6 b7]
simples
Damn, you made me understand something I've been perceiving but not entirely grasping for so many years.
This is gold.
You sir are a great teacher.
I love how instrumentally transferable the information this guy provides is
Finally someone explains secondary diminished chords in a way that I can understand! Thankyou
This channel opens up so many possibilities, and allows players to pick and choose musical concepts they can integrate with rather than stolidly try to shoehorn into the musical path they may already be on. It’s a truly creative (but musically sound) approach to adding new colours to the harmonic pallet. Thank you.
I’ve been playing for 35+ years and I can identify music when I hear it. Diminished, Harmonic Minor etc. I don’t read, I only play by ear and have done a lot with a little. This lesson here, this has explained a whole lot and unlocked things I knew to be true from listening to Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian etc....but could never quite get under my fingers. Thank you. This was the best, most easily explained lesson I’ve ever had and I feel weird that I didn’t pay you.
This is great practical teaching. I don't mean the content though that is very interesting and really helpful, I mean just one simple point. I would guess from that lovely rolling accent that English isn't your first language? Like so many good foreign English speakers you have spent time bothering to get your grammar to a level better than most native English speakers. That's the forgotten purpose of grammar, it isn't there as a random "rule", it makes what you say crystal clear and unambiguous. I also noted that all of the spelling in what you needed to write was spot on too. I take my hat off to you. Your lesson was more easily and comfortably followed and taken on board because of that simple thing. No "DOODS!". No "FAR OUT MAN". And every single sentence did NOT start with "So" and contain at least three "like"s. Count me in for more of this.
Albert: I am so gratified to hear someone mention the ubiquitous and supremely annoying use of "SO" at the start of every sentence; as if it were some kind of crutch speakers must seize upon to make them grab your attention. Thank you from the bottom of my diaphragm!
Don’t forget the use of ‘Look....’ when authority figures are being questioned.
@@paulengland5474 I love the "Look". It signals they have run out of standard bullshit and may be forced to stop talking soon. Look, Like and So; good grief....
So has so become the new like like?
Hi albert!!!!!!!, I couldn't agree more.... his clarity of vernacular, diction and vocabulary put a picture in my head like a rocket going the crystal clear conceptual moon!!!!!!!!! his rhetoric is genius!!!!!!!!!! more please!!!!!!!
Bravo! Music theory is usually incomprehensible (because the teachers are unable to imagine what their pupils know and do not know). This looks very well done.
Writing these ideas on the board is very helpful. You can pause the video then read and think over the concept making sure you understand it before moving on. No wonder this video has almost 500k views.
One very small quibble - this presentation offers the mechanical "how", without the theoretical "why". Bdim resolves to C BECAUSE Bdim is the same notes (minus the root note G) as G7flat9. G7flat9 functions as a dominant chord G7, which naturally resolves to a C chord. This lesson presents a slight variation of an "authentic" cadence (V - I), perhaps the most common progression in Western music.
That's very good to know, thanks for sharing
Great insight!
@@SpiralFlip 9has g
That explanation kinda leaves more question...
Saying G7 naturally resolves to C is like saying what he said that the dim wants to resolve to the note half step above it.
Isn't the dim represent pretty much the 7th degree of major so it want to resolve to root or it's relative minor? Or is it that flat 5 that is pulling your ear to that major/minor sound?
I'm not dissing your explanation, I'm seeking more clarification to understand it better.
Is there a formula for its proper use or is it just a straight forward knowing which chord it resolves?
@Bill Grabbe: Exactly right, as every jazz musician knows. A dim 7 chord is the 7 b9 extension of a dominant chord whose root is 1/2-step below.
I've been self taught for 55yrs since the age of about 10 & took a lesson here or there but mostly learned by writing my own pieces & working with well schooled musicians & its served me well if not swiftly...but just peeking in on this diminished chord & melody trick I think I've found a true teacher...I'll be back but many thanks in the meantime because now I'm going to play around with this trick!!!
thanks
nick
Diminished chords can also be used to lead into a dominant chord like this:
Lets say you are in the key E minor and end up on a F#° (F#-A-C-Eb). From there you could drop the C down one H.S to B, giving you the chord B7 in second inversion (F#-A-B-D#, note that the diminished 7th Eb is effectively the same note as D#), which can then lead back to Em (or E if you so wish). This is basically a good ol' 2-5-1.
But because the original F#° is a "symmetrical" chord, you could view any note therein as being the base note - it is effectively the same chord as C° in second inversion (Gb-Bbb-C-Eb). Let's perform the same operation here as before, except this time moving the F#/Gb down one H.S to F, which yields a F7 (F-A-C-Eb), which gives a 2-5-1 to Bb, major or minor. Modulating from E minor to Bb minor is pretty spicy though, so idk how useful it is :^P
tl;dr: Moving any note in a diminished chord down a H.S produces a 7th chord, which could be used as a dominant.
To be fair, this accomplishes the same thing as was demonstrated in the video, just with more steps ;^) (and more oriented towards modulation). Also, sorry for using double flats.
Agreed, and I believe this is similar to what I explained in this video: th-cam.com/video/-yY-EFU2ik4/w-d-xo.html Thanks!
hey, you used double flats correctly, & that’s what counts
Thank you! Nicely explained - dropping any note in the dim7 chord a semitone creates a dominant 7th, just like that!
I can’t stress enough how grateful I am I found this channel. This is what the internet was made for, thank you for your work. Always immediately applicable to the guitar.
Althought I am a keyboarder I am stunned of your very good explanation of this harmonical sruff.
Many thanx 🙏
me too..
me three..
Moreover, it's nice how when a *guitarist* discusses a bit of theory framed in such a way as to be accessible to musicians in general (i.e., to *keyboardists* too); what then comes through is the real technique, the true practicality of that little gem of knowledge.
@@keykrazy well said, I agree
me too, im a longboarder and im gonna try and apply this next time im on a wave
Idk how to appreciate you but if you are reading this message know that you teached my what i exactly want you are a legend❤
I don't even play guitar, but I have learned so much from this series! Excellent teacher!
He's taking what I already know and adding to it in such a clear, well-explained way. Very nice.
Quickly becoming one of my favorite teachers... Thanks duder
The fact that ANY chord from a modulation can have secondary function (as converse to primary function - Ddom7 being of the primary function of ii in C while in secondary function with temporary tonic of Gmaj it is the V) for this integrity and extrapolationally as I have said to leave room for the hd7 built on the 5th of the temporary tonic coming from the definitive minor as secondary, we should call these "leading diminished chords". Oh and thanks! I never thought about using them in arpeggios for lead.
That C°7 can also transform to B7, D7 (third inversion), F7 (second inversion), or A-flat7 (first inversion). One will see that the moving tone does so downward by semitone, forming the root of the arrival dominant. Viz. Chopin op.28/4 for ad nauseam display of this "Conversion Dominant" in action.
I waiting a long time for such a straightforward and useful example. You are an extremely knowledgeable and gifted teacher. Thank you
i'm amazed at how _all_ the diminished chords you placed in between the base chords in the progression sound good and cohesive, i was completely expecting the new progression to sound all convoluted. great video!!
It's the magic of voice leading :-)
Tommaso. This is by far and away, the BEST explanation of diminished chords and their uses that I have ever come across. I'm definitely going to check out your course. Thanks for this video!
A few days ago I discovered the diminished ones - better: discovered them for me. They expand the possibilities quite nicely and what I play finally sounds interesting again - for me.
Keep making these nice lessons!
Perfect clarity, perfect pace. You are an outstanding teacher.
the dim 7 a step below the V chord will always be one of my favorite sounds :)
My first encounter with dim7 chord was when I learned to play Paul McCartney solo ballad "I'm Carrying". It's simple - D, Fdim7, Em7, A7sus4, but this dim chord made it so bright, refined and angelic. It brought a classical touch to it. When I first played it I couldn't believe my ears - sounded so unusual and gorgeous. I think that dim7 is really a nice trick to add a retro, classical, cozy, jazzy flavor, depending on a context. You explained it all in a very consice way, thank you!
Super clear steps, thanks! Classical pianist / teacher here. Gonna use this for my non-classical students who explore chords and improvising.
Finally someone explained this in a very approachable way, i finally know what to do with this arpeggio. Thank you Tomasso
broooooooo this just opened so many doors for me, i listen to a lot of classical and i have always heard progressions like this but never really understood the relation. so thank you for this! subscribed instantly!
Thank God, I found your channel, superb bros
I listen to many people explaining the diminished 7th chords I got discouraged because I couldn't understand them. But you did such a great job I can explained it to any one now thank you . keep. up the good work. God blessed you.
I have been on the brink of realising this concept for a while. You crystallised my understanding so much. Thank you.
+1, Tommaso! Rag-time: C7 F7 C7 A7 D7 G7 C etc., with variations. Slide in a diminished chord or run anywhere you damn please!
But, don't overdo it. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Diminished chords was always a mystery to me you just explained it very well. Thank You!
"You can complicate these at will" !! Priceless for jazz players!
Love this idea, great for transitioning across the fretboard during leads, and has that lovely classical sound.
I am a piano player, you explain theory so simple ! you are a great teacher. Thank you.
nothing better than finding a new video on youtube thats super helpful. thanks man!
This concept is so deep and simple at the same time, only a Profesor can tell You something like this, brings balance to the color / resolution/rest/ notes, thank you Prof. This is the very key!
What an excellent lesson. Concept lessons like this save me so much time. You have saved me a ton of time over the last couple of years. If I am ever in Edmonton again, lunch is on me. Maybe two lunches. I already owe you one for the note memorization lesson. Thanks man.
Mankind was not able to make time machines or to travel in the speed of light until now.
But who needs these silly stuff when you can use diminished chords to take you to other dimensions?
Great explanation as always, Tommaso! 👍👍❤️
Best explanation of diminished phrasing I've heard on you tube VERY HIP thank you
I've been sensing that something is missing in my chord jazz progressions. Now, I discovered something new to add more color to my compositions. Thank you.
You just opened a whole new area of the left hand of my 120 bass accordion and I haven't even thought about it in like a month. After a little while I can now construct nice chord progressions using the 7th diminished chord. Thanks so much!
Never I would have thought about the accordion left hand... but I'm glad this helped!
This is awesome. Been studying songwriting for years. So anything to help me get the sounds in my head onto a track or paper faster is amazing. Thank you.
You are an excellent teacher. The way you present everything is so effective. Can't thank you enough.
The best explanation of dim7 chords Ive seen. I play a lot of II-V-I jazz chords around the neck. Your technique (or trick) is a different approach for the same effect.. Thanks.
This may be the best video I've seen on how to use Diminished Chords - Easy to understand and use right away. Excellent lesson! I'll definitely be watching more of your videos. Thanks
I'm learning piano (specifically jazz and gospel) and this has helped me tremendously!
One of the progressions I discovered on my own is to play the diminished 7 chord on the top 4 strings (mute the other two), then slide up 3 frets, then another 3 frets, then eventually one fret at a time. The first two movements give you a different inversion of the chord, with the effect that the chord sounds the same, but it also sounds like you have moved up in pitch; i.e., you're going somewhere and going nowhere. I usually finish the progression with a dominant 7th chord, which is almost a resolution, then the tonic.
Another way to use the symmetry of the diminished 7 was used by John Lennon in "Because" ... The first time, a certain dim7 resolves to one chord, and the second time it resolves to another chord. Modulation by ambiguity!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your teaching method. You get right to the heart of things with clear explanations, but also still pleasant to watch/listen to. Thank you!
Thanks for this, not a guitarist but I'm OBSESSED with diminished chords and how to use them and this gave me lots of inspiration, especially the idea about dim7 chords resolving to any chord who's root note is a HS above any of the notes in the diminished chord...got a sub from me
Thank you! Your ability to break down complex musical concepts clearly and practically is truly a gift.And your accent is delightful. Thank you for making the internet a better place.
Thank you! 😃
One of the best music theory videos on TH-cam 🤩. It finally demystified diminished chords for me!!!
This is the most useful information about diminished 7th chords I have seen in a long time, thank you for being so concise. F.Y.I. If one flats any note in diminished 7th, the result is a 7th chord.
This is excellent help! I may spend more time back on the piano instead of my bass!
Molto Grazie!
This sounds a lot like Barry Harris' bebop theory! He talks a bunch about the three diminished chords and how they all function together. For example each diminished chord can be played over a bass note one note under any of the notes in the chord making it a dominant b9 chord. (e.g. c diminished with a B in the bass is a B7b9) and this resolves to either E, G, Bb or Db as you said. Each diminished chord has 4 possible bass notes to make them dominant b9 chords, he calls these brothers and sisters. You can use them interchangeably and stuff it's pretty cool.
That is the sort of info that opens windows for those that maybe haven`t experimented enough!
@broken glass Yes but this is a good place to start for people who hve never done it before because there’s some theory behind it- that’s what theory is for! It’s basically a paved path you can follow but you can also go and make your own paths ya feel? It’s just nice to have some paths to start with
This is outstanding stuff.
It’s not half as complicated as Ive been led to believe.
You just opened up a whole new world for me.
Thanks
Yeah me too.i finally get the concept,there just staked minor thirds
Thank you so much for so simple explanation for diminished chords. Thank you !
Great lesson. I knew how to use diminished seventh chords in a few progressions (like IM7, I#dim, IIm7) but did not know that simple rule of how diminished chords resolve. The excellence of this video has prompted me to consider your courses, when I have the money and time to devote to them.
When writing your fully diminished 7th chords out, It may help the new learners know the difference between a diminish triad chord and diminished 7th chord in labeling the difference as you would the the difference between C and Cmaj7. Just a side note. But this is a great video to share.
Thanks for a brilliantly explained video! After watching it , I discovered that these diminished 7th chords can sometimes also connect to chords 1/2 step below as in the song Private Investigations by Dire Straits ie E diminished 7th to A minor chord.
Thanks for sharing. Very cool simple way to add a lot of color. One of the things I like about diminished chords is the revoicing is automatically inverted just by sliding up every 3 frets. So you don't have to think about it. Same with augmented every 4 frets.
Nice explanation. I'm a keyboard player and this really opens up a new way of thinking (and hopefully sounding) for me. Good stuff.
This is both the clearest explanation and the most easy to apply that I have found after much looking. My search is done. Thank you!! Liked, subscribed, and instant fan.
you teach me so much! there's really no way to thank you for all you gave me! you're an awesome human being!
I've always liked dim chords, I think they make major chords sound bittersweet and min chords scary or gypsy jazzy. Thanks for this video, it's very clear and expands on everything I never actually figured out and wrote down 🙃👌🥰
This is something I've looking for years! What a genius trick, this will help me a lot in my composition
This video showed up on my feed and I clicked on it before realizing it was for guitar players. I play keyboards. But I watched it anyway. The concepts of theory are the same and I and was able to apply what you said to playing keyboard. Amazing! Thank you. Now I need to check out your other videos. Awesome!
I don't play guitar, but your lessons I believe could help with keys too. Really good information.
As a producer, your videos on chords and different ways to use them are so useful. I will definitely be signing up for your chord mastery course.
The thing is that the which u teached it directly went into my brain😂😂lots of love for u may God bless you more
I think this was clearer and more comprehensive then Jens taught it. Thank you very much, again!
I think this explains some of the jams from Esther, by Phish (a musically worthy, whimsically lyrical song).
Bonus tip for dim 7 and 7th chord: you can play one or more notes from the resolving chord over the diminished chord as a suspension and vice versa. Take Fdim7 (F Ab B D) in the key of C. You can move D up to E and you get FdimMaj7. Resolve the E down to D, then resolve the Fdim chord down to Am7/E. You get a melody on top and harmony underneath. You can borrow notes of the diminished over notes of the tonic chord as well. You will find certain chords that before, seemed difficult to use, now make perfect sense in context: MinMaj7, DimMaj7, Maj7#5, MinMaj9, etc.
That was awesome video production work you did on this lesson. I love how you visually tie what we're hearing to what you wrote out on the board. The speeding up the writing is a brilliant tactic and helps to keep the focus on grasping the concept and not waiting for long hand writing out. Subscribed
Amaaaazing! You are the only person who can explain music theory.
Great video! Gonna drive my friends crazy trying this out for the next.......well forever!!!!!!
Love your videos. Thank you. One of the absolute best music channels on TH-cam
Thank you!
Amazing! Serious jazz hack for a blues player like myself!
Subscribed half-way through the video. Very well done. I appreciate that it's detailed without sounding either repetitive or overwhelming, a common issue I find on TH-cam videos. I look forward to more viewings.
Thank you for sharing. Want to just add some rudiments. There is a specific key relation to each diminished chord. The dominating chords of C; is G, F, and the modulation chord is Bdim. The diminished chord for each key is at the leading tone; the major seventh. Example Bdim for C, F#dim for G, Edim for F, etc. In my "neo classical" compositions, I've used diminished chords in chains to modulate. Modulation chords are chords that have specific selection of dissonance that resolve in another keys. Purpose of modulation chords is for changing into another key. You can do this several times within an extended cadential pattern.
I like the way he says diminished.
I just now found your channel here on youtube. You are amazing! I know only basic music theory, but I actually followed you and understood you every step of the way, and never got lost throughout this great lesson. You explained it so simply, which is a rare thing, unfortunately. Thank you! And, of course, I liked and subscribed, as well...
Helpful lesson. Great music teacher. Thank You.
This is extremely useful, you have an instant subscription! Looking forward to watching more of your content. I've been struggling to understand the usage of diminished chords for quite some time and this is the first time I've ever seen it presented so practically that I can make use of it right away.
Your tutorials are so helpful. I go back to them time after time. You break things down in an understandable manner, and make them interesting at the same time. I really can’t thank you enough.
absolutely the best !!!!!!! This simple yet beautiful piece of musical engineering has fuelled my inspiration!!!!! I absolutely adore your musical mind..... I'm shredding on this for a while....!!!!!!!!
Great way to simplify and demonstrate diminished chords and leads. Excellent lesson.
Thank you! I learned in minutes what I couldn't figure out in years!
wow!!! I always used to thought how to use diminished chord..thank you brother ..
If you take any one note in a dim7th chord down 1/2 step, it becomes a dominant 7th chord: C - Eb (D#) - Gb (F#) - A. From these four notes, if you take "C" down 1/2 step, you get a B7. If you "Eb" down 1/2 step, you get a D7 chord. If you take "Gb" down 1/2 step, you get an F7. Finally, if you take "A" down 1/2 step you can an Ab7. This is why the diminished 7th is capable of resolving to so many other chords. Another way to look at it is that C - Eb - Gb - A is the 'top' of an Ab7 (b9) if you put Ab in the bass. Eb - Gb - A - C is the 'top' of a B7(b9) chord, (Eb = D# and Gb = F#.) In the order, Gb - A - C - Eb it's the 'top' of a D7 (b9) chord. Finally, in the order, A - C - Eb - Gb, it's the 'top' of an F7(b9) chord. I routinely, especially in minor keys, go 1/2 step above the V7 chord of the key and do a diminished 7th arpeggio. When I teach, I always talk about the magic of the diminished 7th chord. It has amazing properties. And it contains two 'devil's intervals.' Tritones aren't the devil's interval. The minor 9th interval, however, can be called devilish! Any chord built beyond a triad can have problems in certain inversions. The simplest example would be a Major 7 chord. If I voice Gma7 G -B - D - F#, that's perfectly fine. But if I voice it F# - B - D - G...all of a sudden, the soft, cushy major 7th feeling has a nasty sting to it. That's because of the minor 9th interval, F# an octave up to G. It's awful (unless used for effect) I observed this problem with inversions of 13th chords, minor 9th chords, sharp 9th chords and others. I call it 'the minor 9th rule.' This is one reason why there are a limited number of inversions for, say, a #9 chord. G7(#9) = G, B, D, F, Bb. Try voicing it as G, Bb, D, F, B...ouch! And it totally ruins the function of the chord. Ergo, the TRUE 'devil's interval' is the minor 9th. But the tritone? The tritone is purely magical! And a chord with TWO tritones (e.g. diminished 7th) is extra specially magical! Thank you for your videos. I love them!
The conversion between dim7 and dominant 7 can be understood from the fact that a "diminished 7th" chord is so named because it is a dominant 7th chord with every note but the root diminished. Thus, lowering the root (which of course is any note of the dim7 chord) puts it back to a dominant 7th, equivalent to raising the other notes back up a half step to a dominant 7th. But why didn't I think of that?
I’m a sax player and I really enjoyed the tutorial. Thanks! 👏
I can play over changes fairly well but I'm limited in my use of diminished flavors. I know a few patterns but that's it. This is extremely helpful for me!!! Thank you!!!
1st jazz sounds bossa nova. Great lesson, many thanks.
Following your lessons really helped me to differentiate m7(b5) and diminished chords. Also, where and how to use the diminished chords. I wish you did an example of this above the basic and simple examples! Like the next 2 levels type stuff!!