Diminished chords
A diminished chord has three notes: the root, minor third and tritone. Its formula is 1 b3 b5. The root, minor 3rd and flat 5th. It is the vii chord of a major key and leads up a half step to the tonic.
On C it is written Cdim, and also C° and Co.
Diminished chords in every key
| Chord | Notes | Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| Cdim | C Eb Gb | guitar · piano |
| C#dim | C# E G | guitar · piano |
| Ddim | D F Ab | guitar · piano |
| Ebdim | Eb Gb Bbb | guitar · piano |
| Edim | E G Bb | guitar · piano |
| Fdim | F Ab Cb | guitar · piano |
| F#dim | F# A C | guitar · piano |
| Gdim | G Bb Db | guitar · piano |
| G#dim | G# B D | guitar · piano |
| Adim | A C Eb | guitar · piano |
| Bbdim | Bb Db Fb | guitar · piano |
| Bdim | B D F | guitar · piano |
Diminished compared
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | Notes | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diminished | Cdim | 1 b3 b5 | C Eb Gb | |
| Minor | Cm | 1 b3 5 | C Eb G | Cm and Cdim share C and Eb. Cm has G, the 5th, where Cdim has Gb, the flat 5th. |
| Diminished 7 | Cdim7 | 1 b3 b5 bb7 | C Eb Gb Bbb | Cdim7 is Cdim (C, Eb and Gb) with Bbb, the double flat 7th, added. |
| Half Diminished | Cm7b5 | 1 b3 b5 b7 | C Eb Gb Bb | Cm7b5 is Cdim (C, Eb and Gb) with Bb, the flat 7th, added. |
Questions
What is a diminished chord?
A diminished chord has three notes: the root, minor third and tritone. Its formula is 1 b3 b5. The root, minor 3rd and flat 5th. It is the vii chord of a major key and leads up a half step to the tonic.
How do you write a diminished chord?
On C it is written Cdim, and also C° and Co.
What is the difference between Cdim and Cm?
Cdim and Cm share C and Eb. Cdim has Gb, the flat 5th, where Cm has G, the 5th.