Passing Diminished Chords
[email protected] Diminished chords are often used as passing chords between chords I, ii and iii in either direction. Imaj7
#Iº7
IIm7
#IIº7
IIIm7
bIIIº7
CŒ„Š7
C©º7
D‹7
D©º7
E‹7
E¨º7
&
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
IIm7
bIIº7
D‹7
V
V
V
D¨º7 V
V
V
V
V
V
The #IVº7 chord is often used between chords IV and a 2nd inversion I chord
IVmaj7
FŒ„Š7
&
V
F©º7 V
IV7
I
#IVº7
V
V
C/G V
F7 V
V
V
I7
#IVº7
F©º7
V
V
V
V
C7/G V
The bVII7 chord The bVII7 chord may also be preceded by a related II. We could call this the 'Aeolian ii-V' as it is drawn from the Aeolian mode and is quite common.
The bVII7 chord (borrowed from the parallel minor) is sometimes used as a resolution to I Imaj7
B¨7
CŒ„Š7
&
V
Imaj7
bVII7
V
V
IVm7
CŒ„Š7 V
V
V
V
V
Imaj7
bVII7
F‹7
B¨7
V
V
V
CŒ„Š7 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
B¨
&
V
V
IV
I
F
C
V
V
V
IVma IVmaj7 j7
B¨Œ„Š7
FŒ„Š7 V
V
V
V
bVII bVIIma maj7 j7
V
V
V
I
C 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) bVII7(#11)
Imaj7
CŒ„Š7
&
V
B¨7(#11) V
V
V
V
bVII9(#11)
Imaj7
CŒ„Š7 V
V
V
V
B¨9(#11) V
V
V
V
V
