Diminished Passing Chords
The Diminished passing chain is the chord progression Imaj7-#Idim7-ii7-#IIdim7-iii7-VI7. In the key of C major it is Cmaj7 C#dim7 Dm7 D#dim7 Em7 A7, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1(maj7) #1dim7 2m(7) #2dim7 3m(7) 6(7).
It is also known as ascending diminished passing chords.
Chords from outside the key of C major: C#dim7, D#dim7, A7.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
Diminished sevenths fill the gaps between I, ii and iii, so the bass climbs by half steps. Each one is a rootless dominant seven flat nine: C sharp dim7 acts like A7b9 going to Dm7. It is a common way to add motion to the first bars of a tune.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Got Rhythm (rhythm changes variant) | George Gershwin | A section, bars 1 to 3 | Bb Bo7 | Cm C#o7 | Dm G7 | Bb major |
| Ain't Misbehavin' | Fats Waller | verse opening | C C#dim Dm7 D#dim C | C major |
| It Could Happen to You | Jimmy Van Heusen | bars 1 to 5, reharmonised | Eb | Eo7 | Fm | F#o7 | Gm | Eb major |
Diminished Passing Chords: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- Sharp four diminished: F F#dim7 C/G
- Autumn Leaves changes: Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dm7b5 G7 Cm
- Coltrane changes: Cmaj7 Eb7 Abmaj7 B7 Emaj7 G7 Cmaj7
- Chromatic descending ii-Vs: Am7 D7 Abm7 Db7 Cmaj7
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Diminished passing chain in each key?
In C major: Cmaj7 C#dim7 Dm7 D#dim7 Em7 A7. In G major: Gmaj7 G#dim7 Am7 A#dim7 Bm7 E7. In D major: Dmaj7 D#dim7 Em7 Fdim7 F#m7 B7. In A major: Amaj7 A#dim7 Bm7 Cdim7 C#m7 F#7. In E major: Emaj7 Fdim7 F#m7 Gdim7 G#m7 C#7.
Which songs use the Diminished passing chain?
Songs that use it include I Got Rhythm (rhythm changes variant) by George Gershwin, Ain't Misbehavin' by Fats Waller, It Could Happen to You by Jimmy Van Heusen.
