Diminished

What is a Diminished chord?

A diminished chord has a tense and dissonant sound, often described as unstable or eerie. It is a type of chord that creates a strong sense of tension and can be used to create an unsettling or dramatic effect in music.

The diminished chord is basically a minor chord with the fifth is lowered by a half step. For example, a C diminished chord contains the notes C, E flat, and G flat. The diminished chord is often denoted by the symbol "dim" or "°" after the chord name.

How is it used?

The function of a diminished chord is to create a sense of tension and instability. It can be used as a passing chord between other chords or as a substitute for other chords in a progression. For example, a diminished chord can be used to substitute for a dominant chord, creating a chromatic movement in the bass line and adding more tension to the progression.

Diminished chords are often used in minor keys, where they can be used to create a sense of darkness or melancholy. They can also be used to modulate to other keys or to create key changes within a song.

Diminished chord variations

There are a few variations of Diminished chords, the triad, diminished 7th and a half diminished. However we haven't included the half diminished here as it is also referred to as a Min7b5 which you can find under the minor chords section.

To view the guitar chord shapes pick a Diminished chord type from the menu above.