Passing Diminished Chords
Passing diminished chords are chords that help us move chromatically from I to ii, from ii to iii, and from bass notes on scale degrees 4 to 5, usually expressing IV to I/V.
Diminished seventh chords often fulfill a dominant function and are sometimes interchangeable with a dominant 7b9 a major third below.
For example: F#o7 = D7b9. In "Have You Met Miss Jones" #io7 can be used in place of VI7b9 (and vice versa) as a means of getting to ii.
#io (sharp one diminished)
"Have You Met Miss Jones" (m. 1-3)
|| F | D7b9 | G-
or
|| F | F#o7 | G-
#iio (sharp two diminished)
#iio occurs as a passing chord between ii and iii, creating a variation on the ii V I progression where #iio substitutes for V and iii substitutes for I.
"Once I Loved" (m. 5-7)
| G- | G#o7 | A- |
ii #iio iii
In some tunes, both #io and #iio can be used to create a rising chromatic bass movement from I to iii.
Rhythm Changes (m. 1-3)
|| Bb G7 | C- F7 | D- G7 |
I VI ii V iii VI
or
|| Bb Bo7 | C- C#o7 | D- G7 |
I #io ii #iio iii
"It Could Happen to You" (m. 1-5)
|| Eb | Gø C7b9 | F- | Aø D7b9 | G-
I iiiø VI ii #ivø VII iii
or
|| Eb | Eo7 | F- | F#o7 | G-
I #io ii #iio iii
biiio (flat three diminished)
We find a passing diminished chords between iii and ii on tunes like "Body and Soul," "Night and Day," "Out of Nowhere," and "All the Things You Are".
"Body and Soul" (m. 3-5)
| Db Gb7 | F- Eo7 | Eb-
I IV iii biiio ii
"Night and Day" in Eb (m. 9-13)
| Aø | Ab- | G- | F#o7 | F-
#ivø iv iii biiio ii
Turnaround
| C Ebo7 | D- G7 |
I biiio ii V
#ivo7
Occurs as a passing chord between scale degrees 4 and 5 in the bass, usually IV7 #ivo7 I/V. Common in Gospel style works.
Jerry Coker notes that it parallels ii #iio7 I/iii.
Doxy m. 9-13
| Bb7 | Bb7 | Eb7 | Eo7 | Bb7
I IV #ivo I
In a Mellow Tone m. 25-27
| Db | Do7 | Ab |
IV #ivo I
Blues m. 1-3: | I | IV #ivo | I
Blues m. 5-7: | IV | #ivo | I
Rhythm Changes m. 5-7: | I7 | IV7 #ivo | I
io7
Not a passing diminished chord, but a color chord that creates tension on I.
"Spring is Here" m. 1-4
| Abo7 | Abmaj | Abo7 | Abmaj |
io7 I io7 I
"Upper Manhattan Medical Group" m. 29-32
| Dbo7 | Dbmaj | Dbo7 | Dbmaj ||
io7 I io7 I
"Upper Manhattan Medical Group" m. 3-5
| Eb- | Ab7 | Dbo7 Dbmaj |
ii V io7 I
The same effect is created by superimposing the triad a half step below the tonic over the tonic root: B/C.
This is often used to colorfully reharmonize the major seventh on a I chord. For example in the first measure of "Misty":
"Misty" m. 1 substitution
| D/Eb Ebmaj |
D/Eb is identical to Eb dim maj7.
Diminished seventh chords often fulfill a dominant function and are sometimes interchangeable with a dominant 7b9 a major third below.
For example: F#o7 = D7b9. In "Have You Met Miss Jones" #io7 can be used in place of VI7b9 (and vice versa) as a means of getting to ii.
#io (sharp one diminished)
"Have You Met Miss Jones" (m. 1-3)
|| F | D7b9 | G-
or
|| F | F#o7 | G-
#iio (sharp two diminished)
#iio occurs as a passing chord between ii and iii, creating a variation on the ii V I progression where #iio substitutes for V and iii substitutes for I.
"Once I Loved" (m. 5-7)
| G- | G#o7 | A- |
ii #iio iii
In some tunes, both #io and #iio can be used to create a rising chromatic bass movement from I to iii.
Rhythm Changes (m. 1-3)
|| Bb G7 | C- F7 | D- G7 |
I VI ii V iii VI
or
|| Bb Bo7 | C- C#o7 | D- G7 |
I #io ii #iio iii
"It Could Happen to You" (m. 1-5)
|| Eb | Gø C7b9 | F- | Aø D7b9 | G-
I iiiø VI ii #ivø VII iii
or
|| Eb | Eo7 | F- | F#o7 | G-
I #io ii #iio iii
biiio (flat three diminished)
We find a passing diminished chords between iii and ii on tunes like "Body and Soul," "Night and Day," "Out of Nowhere," and "All the Things You Are".
"Body and Soul" (m. 3-5)
| Db Gb7 | F- Eo7 | Eb-
I IV iii biiio ii
"Night and Day" in Eb (m. 9-13)
| Aø | Ab- | G- | F#o7 | F-
#ivø iv iii biiio ii
Turnaround
| C Ebo7 | D- G7 |
I biiio ii V
#ivo7
Occurs as a passing chord between scale degrees 4 and 5 in the bass, usually IV7 #ivo7 I/V. Common in Gospel style works.
Jerry Coker notes that it parallels ii #iio7 I/iii.
Doxy m. 9-13
| Bb7 | Bb7 | Eb7 | Eo7 | Bb7
I IV #ivo I
In a Mellow Tone m. 25-27
| Db | Do7 | Ab |
IV #ivo I
Blues m. 1-3: | I | IV #ivo | I
Blues m. 5-7: | IV | #ivo | I
Rhythm Changes m. 5-7: | I7 | IV7 #ivo | I
io7
Not a passing diminished chord, but a color chord that creates tension on I.
"Spring is Here" m. 1-4
| Abo7 | Abmaj | Abo7 | Abmaj |
io7 I io7 I
"Upper Manhattan Medical Group" m. 29-32
| Dbo7 | Dbmaj | Dbo7 | Dbmaj ||
io7 I io7 I
"Upper Manhattan Medical Group" m. 3-5
| Eb- | Ab7 | Dbo7 Dbmaj |
ii V io7 I
The same effect is created by superimposing the triad a half step below the tonic over the tonic root: B/C.
This is often used to colorfully reharmonize the major seventh on a I chord. For example in the first measure of "Misty":
"Misty" m. 1 substitution
| D/Eb Ebmaj |
D/Eb is identical to Eb dim maj7.