Dominant 7 To Diminished 7 Chord

Dominant 7 and Diminished 7 Chords

The dominant 7th chord and the diminished 7th chord are both four-note chords commonly used in music, but they serve different purposes and have distinct sounds.

A dominant 7th chord (e.g., G7) consists of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It has a strong, tense quality and is often used to resolve to a tonic chord in progressions like V7 → I. On the guitar, it’s easy to spot by its fuller, slightly bluesy tone.

A diminished 7th chord (e.g., G°7) is built with a root, minor third, diminished fifth, and diminished seventh. It has a much more dissonant, eerie sound and is commonly used as a tension-builder or transition.