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Diminished chords A diminished chord is formed of a stack of minor thirds
D
iminished chords can add a really interesting sound to your playing but need to be used in moderation. If your piece is in a major key, then the diminished chord that occurs naturally will have its root on the seventh note of that scale. In the key of G major for example, the diminished chord would be F#dim. To form this chord, first locate the root note (F#) and count up three semitones to locate the minor third (A). The fifth note lies another minor third up from this note (C). If, however, your piece is in a minor key, the naturally-occurring diminished chord will be built from the second note of that minor scale; in the key of C minor for example, the diminished triad
is D dim (D, F and A ). You will find that the most common way composers incorporate diminished chords into their playing is by using the diminished 7th. This has an identical structure but with a fourth note added on top – this note lies another minor third above the fifth note of the triad. Cdim7 would therefore comprise the notes C, E , G and A. When
playing seventh chords usually the fingering 1-2-3-5 works best in the right hand and 5-3-2-1 in the left; this is because it is harder to use your fourth finger independently of the third. Diminished sevenths are often used as resolution chords; the best way to understand this is to hear it: Play Cdim7 and practise resolving to G major – sounds pretty jazzy, right?
“If your piece is in a major key, then the diminished chord that occurs naturally will have its root on the seventh note of that scale”
Using diminished chords Misusing a diminished chord does not sound pretty, so let’s learn where to play them
A diminished (A-C-E )
C diminished (C-E -G )
To play the chord in its root position first locate the minor triad (A-C-E). Now lower your fifth finger on the right hand (or your thumb on the left) by one semitone. When you feel comfortable, practise moving between the inversions.
Repeat the exercise until you feel confident locating the C diminished chord. Now add the seventh (A). C7 in its second inversion moves melodically to G major due to a shared bass and the fall of E /C to D/B. Piano for Beginners 89
