Passing Diminished Chords

m.mermikides@surrey.ac.uk

Diminished chords are often used as passing chords between chords I, ii and iii in either direction.
Imaj7 #Iº7 IIm7 #IIº7 IIIm7 bIIIº7 IIm7 bIIº7

CŒ„Š7 C©º7 D‹7 D©º7 E‹7 E¨º7 D‹7 D¨º7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
The #IVº7 chord is often used between chords IV and a 2nd inversion I chord

IVmaj7 #IVº7 I IV7 #IVº7 I7

FŒ„Š7 F©º7 C/G F7 F©º7 C7/G

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

The bVII7 chord

The bVII7 chord (borrowed from the parallel minor) The bVII7 chord may also be preceded by a related II.
is sometimes used as a resolution to I We could call this the 'Aeolian ii-V' as it is
drawn from the Aeolian mode and is quite common.
Imaj7 bVII7 Imaj7 IVm7 bVII7 Imaj7

CŒ„Š7 B¨7 CŒ„Š7 F‹7 B¨7 CŒ„Š7

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
The bVII chord from Mixolydian
The bVII major triad, particularly when in proximity to a major IV chord is a very common rock device
and can be seen as being drawn from the parallel mixolydian mode.

bVII IV I IVmaj7 bVIImaj7 I

B¨ F C FŒ„Š7 B¨Œ„Š7 C

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
The bVII7(#11)
The bVII7 chord when it includes a #11 (and/or 9) is a common jazz device,
not borrowed from parallel minor but Mixolydian b13 (a melodic minor mode)

Imaj7 bVII7(#11) Imaj7 bVII9(#11)

CŒ„Š7 B¨7(#11) CŒ„Š7 B¨9(#11)

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V