G Flat Diminished Chord on the Guitar (Gb dim) – Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory

The G flat diminished chord (Gb dim or Gb°) contains the notes Gb, Bbb and Dbb. It is produced by taking the 1st, flat 3rd and flat 5th notes of the Gb Major scale.

Gb diminished often appears as Gb dim or Gb°.

The diminished chord played by itself has a dissonant sound. This is largely due to the existence of the tritone interval, which is otherwise known as the devil’s interval. The G flat diminished chord contains a tritone between the notes Gb and Dbb.

Even though the G flat diminished chord sounds dissonant on its own, it can sound beautiful when played in the right context. Pairing the Gb diminished chord with the G Major chord, for example, creates a sense of tension and release, which works well. A good exercise is to switch between the Gb diminished chord and the G Major chord and hear for yourself how this sounds

10 Ways To Play The G Flat Diminished Chord

If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for G flat diminished, here they are.

G Flat Diminished Chord 10 Shapes

Some Quick G Flat Diminished Chord Theory

  • The G flat diminished chord contains the notes Gb, Bbb and Dbb.
  • The Gb diminished chord is produced by taking the 1 (root), b3 and b5 of the Gb Major scale.
  • The Gb diminished chord (just like all diminished chords) contains the following intervals (starting from the root note): minor 3rd, minor 3rd, tritone (which leads back to the root note).
  • G flat diminished resolves naturally to the G chord.
  • Gb diminished can be written as Gb dim or Gb°.
  • The G flat locrian scale can be used when soloing over the G flat diminished chord.

Further Reading

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