Chord reference
Diminished triad
1 – ♭3 – ♭5 · example: Cdim = C – E♭ – G♭
Two stacked minor thirds. Unstable, and the natural chord on the seventh degree of a major scale.
Written as a formula it is 1 – ♭3 – ♭5: the degrees of the major scale it keeps, with any that are altered marked. On C that gives Cdim = C, E♭, G♭.
How it is built
- G♭third
- E♭minor
- Croot
The intervals above the root
| Chord tone | Interval above the root | Semitones | Note in Cdim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perfect unison | 0 | C |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E♭ |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | G♭ |
Inversions
The same notes can be stacked in any vertical order. The chord keeps its name; what changes is which note is in the bass. See chord inversions for why that matters.
| Position | Notes | Written as |
|---|---|---|
| Root position | C – E♭ – G♭ | Cdim |
| First inversion | E♭ – G♭ – C | Cdim/E♭ |
| Second inversion | G♭ – C – E♭ | Cdim/G♭ |
This chord on every root
| Root | Symbol | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cdim | C – E♭ – G♭ |
| D♭ | D♭dim | D♭ – F♭ – A𝄫 |
| D | Ddim | D – F – A♭ |
| E♭ | E♭dim | E♭ – G♭ – B𝄫 |
| E | Edim | E – G – B♭ |
| F | Fdim | F – A♭ – C♭ |
| F♯ | F♯dim | F♯ – A – C |
| G | Gdim | G – B♭ – D♭ |
| A♭ | A♭dim | A♭ – C♭ – E𝄫 |
| A | Adim | A – C – E♭ |
| B♭ | B♭dim | B♭ – D♭ – F♭ |
| B | Bdim | B – D – F |