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How to use diminished chords the easy way

Last updated on: February 18, 2019 By Posido Vega

In this bass lesson, I’ll show you a cool and musical exercise for the Major Chord Scale using Diminished Chords.

This concept works whenever you are improvising on the bass and want to create more movement.

The notes of a Diminished Chord and what’s so cool about its sound

A Diminished Chord stacks notes that are a minor third apart.

For example, an F# Diminished Chord has these notes: F#, A, C, Eb

What’s cool about a Diminished Chord is that it wants to resolve.

Here’s how you can take the resolving tendency for a Diminished Chord and turn that into a musical exercise

Use Diminished Chords as an Approach Chord for a Major Scale.

In the key of G Major, your chords along the scale are: G Major 7, A Minor 7, B Minor 7, C Major 7, D Dominant 7, E Minor 7, F# Minor 7b5.

Practice ascending the Major Scale. Approach each chord from the Major Scale, with a Diminished Chord a half-step below:

  • F# Diminished > G Major 7
  • G# Diminished > A Minor 7
  • A# Diminished > B Minor 7
  • B Diminished > C Major 7
  • C# Diminished > D Dominant 7
  • D# Diminished > E Minor 7
  • E# Diminished > F# Minor 7b5

Now do try the same thing, this time descending. Approach each chord from the Major Scale, with a Diminished Chord a half-step below:

  • Ab Diminished > G Major 7
  • G Diminished > F# Minor 7 b5
  • F Diminished > E Minor 7
  • Eb Diminished > D Dominant 7
  • Db Diminished > C Major 7
  • C Diminished > B Minor 7
  • Bb Diminished > A Minor 7

How to practice using diminished sounds in your bass solos

Using the exercise you learned above, play arpeggios instead of chords.

For example, play:

  • F# Diminished arpeggio moving to a G Major 7 arpeggio
  • G# Diminished arpeggio moving to an A Minor 7 arpeggio
  • A# Diminished arpeggio moving to a B Minor 7 arpeggio
  • B Diminished arpeggio moving to a C Major 7 arpeggio
  • C# Diminished arpeggio moving to a D Dominant 7 arpeggio
  • D# Diminished arpeggio moving to an E Minor 7 arpeggio
  • E# Diminished arpeggio moving to a F# Minor 7b5 arpeggio

Continue with the exercise and move descending:

  • Ab Diminished arpeggio moving to a G Major 7 arpeggio
  • G Diminished moving to a F# Minor 7 b5 arpeggio
  • F Diminished moving to an E Minor 7 arpeggio
  • Eb Diminished moving to a D Dominant 7 arpeggio
  • Db Diminished moving to a C Major 7 arpeggio
  • C Diminished moving to a B Minor 7 arpeggio
  • Bb Diminished moving to an A Minor 7 arpeggio

Like this bass lesson? Please help support this site by clicking on the referral link below. I’ll receive a small commission from your total purchase from Amazon (even if you don’t get the referred item). This will help pay for hosting costs and keep the creation of free online bass lessons flowing. Every penny will help. Thank you and enjoy!

Barry Harris’ concepts with Diminished chords sound very musical and are easy to apply on the bass. Check out this DVD on Amazon: Barry Harris: The Jazz Master Class Series From NYU

Filed Under: Bass Exercises Lessons Tagged With: chord scale, diminished chords, exercises, improvisation Posted on: November 26, 2017

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