Finally working out the dreaded C#o7 in songs

[Cypress Knee]

A friend of mine often sings Miles and Miles of Texas at a jam. Most of the guitar players would just play C G A D G during a certain segment of the song.

Some time ago I figured out that I could do a bass run which went C C# D E A D G so I have done that for quite awhile.

Then last week I figured out I could do a C strum, C#o7 strum, G/D bass strum, E7 ala Creedence strum, then A strum D strum back to G.

Last night at a bluegrass jam a girl started singing a song about wanting to be a cowgirl and I recognized the chord progression and was able to nail it.

I know it was old school for jazz and Western swing players, but for a folkie/bluegrass/country rock kind of guy it was pretty neat.

Still making progress while approaching the end of days!

[Jack the Pearl]

Am I the only one that doesn't have any idea what a "C#o7" is?

Can anyone offer a little help?

[Dothraki]

Thats awesome! I just looked up the song and heard it for the first time, a live version from Asleep At The Wheel….fantastic stuff! Thanks for introducing me to something new…(even if it wasn’t your intention)..lol. I gotta check some more of them out!

[Dothraki]

Originally Posted by Jack the Pearl

Am I the only one that doesn't have any idea what a "C#o7" is?

Can anyone offer a little help?

C sharp diminished 7th

[JayBee1404]

Pearly Jack you are not alone, I’ve never seen it written C#o7 either - only ever C#dim7.

Even at the age of 76, when I thought I’d seen it all, I learn something new every day!

[stevo58]

Standard on jazz lead sheets. There are others you may not know.


https://jazz-library.com/articles/chord-symbols/

[Silly Moustache]

I use that shape quite a lot, and it is moveable.

[capefisherman]

And here's something else about the dim7 chords: any note can function as the root of the chord - this is HUGE if you're trying to spice up a chord progression and want to insert a passing chord that adds interest but still at least partially is in the key of a song. Also - another cool thing - dim7 chords invert themselves every three frets! Notes present will be in a different order of course (some an octave higher than the original voicing) but if you subscribe to the idea of keeping chord voicings close together for the smoothest transitions and having a progression with chords that sound like they "go together" rather than making big jumps from one area of the fretboard to another, you can almost always find an inversion of a dim7 that is close to the area of the neck where you're playing the majority of the chords in a song.

One of the basic unofficial rules of playing chord back-up of a solo instrument (or a singer) in traditional jazz, swing and Western swing is to change chords every two beats, even if the music calls for a chord to held for four or more beats. Applying the inverts-itself-every-three frets to the use of a dim7, moving the dim7 up or down the neck every three frets allows the player to construct a chord back-up sequence that complies to that "rule" rather than playing just one voicing of a chord for 4 or more beats and really helps the momentum of a song in those genres.

Then there is the idea of using dim7's as chromatic additions between two chords that are totally in the scale-line triads of a given key. But let's not go down the road of what is or isn't appropriate in certain genres....that's a huge can of worms.

In any case, I think what you did with above chord sequence is very cool and creative!

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Pearly Jack you are not alone, I’ve never seen it written C#o7 either - only ever C#dim7.

Even at the age of 76, when I thought I’d seen it all, I learn something new every day!

The little circle has been standard shorthand for (fully) diminished for decades. Half dim has a line through the circle.

Edit: I do this tune in one of my bands. Great song.

[fantex]

Is it the same chord in Friends in Low Places?

C# G Bb E

[marciero]

Originally Posted by fantex

Is it the same chord in Friends in Low Places?

C# G Bb E

Yes, though I am not sure about key. I played it in A, so the second chord would A#o. In any case, sharp of I. Functionally its a little different than in the example the OP cited, where it is the sharp of the IV chord and part of a very common turnaround - IV, IV#o, I, VI, II, V, I

[aK_bAsh7]

Originally Posted by Cypress Knee

A friend of mine often sings Miles and Miles of Texas at a jam. Most of the guitar players would just play C G A D G during a certain segment of the song.

Some time ago I figured out that I could do a bass run which went C C# D E A D G so I have done that for quite awhile.

Then last week I figured out I could do a C strum, C#o7 strum, G/D bass strum, E7 ala Creedence strum, then A strum D strum back to G.

Last night at a bluegrass jam a girl started singing a song about wanting to be a cowgirl and I recognized the chord progression and was able to nail it.

I know it was old school for jazz and Western swing players, but for a folkie/bluegrass/country rock kind of guy it was pretty neat.

Still making progress while approaching the end of days!

I love dim chords. In fact, I'll add 'em to songs that weren't written with 'em, if it sounds good to me!

[Nymuso]

X42323

Looks tougher than it is. As someone mentioned, it's moveable.

EDIT: An interesting aspect of this form is that if you move it up three frets you get a different inversion of the same chord; move it three frets above that, same thing and so on

[stanron]

The 'o' in C#o7 is usually written at the top. This is not easily done in a text format. It could be written C#dim7 and I imagine more people would recognise that.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

X42323

Looks tougher than it is. As someone mentioned, it's moveable.

EDIT: An interesting aspect of this form is that if you move it up three frets you get a different inversion of the same chord; move it three frets above that, same thing and so on

X4535x is a heck of a lot easier. Or just leave that low C# off your version.

Diminished chords are great, well worth having in your arsenal.