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In tonal harmony the common‑tone diminished seventh—often shortened simply to “common‑tone diminished”—serves as a fleeting, coloristic device rather than a structural pivot. Its defining trait is the ...

The half‑diminished chord, formally known as an “m7♭5” or simply the “Ø” chord, occupies a peculiar niche in Western harmonic theory. Comprised of a root, a minor third, a diminished fifth, and a ...