How To Play Diminished Piano Chords

Diminished and diminished seventh chords add real beauty to a song and are easy to formulate and play.Did you know that there are only three diminished seventh chords?They make a great addition to your musical tool bag.

Step 1: Diminished Chords.

The intervals of the major scale are where the diminished and diminished 7th chords are formed.Let's use the "C" scale, which is: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

Step 2: The root, the third, and the fifth are known as a diminished chord.

The notes in a diminished chord are C, Eb, and Gb.It is similar to a C minor, C, Eb, and G, with the fifth also flatted.C dim, C Dim and occasionally C- would be the abbreviations for a diminished C.

Step 3: Diminished 7th Chords.

The root, third and flatted fifth are the same as the notes in a diminished 7th.The doubly flatted seventh is added.A double flatted seventh is the same note as the sixth, so a Bbb is also an A.The seventh tone of the scale must be present since it is called a diminished seventh.The seventh tone of the scale must be present in some form to be a type of seventh chord.To be correct, the note must be called a B double flat.The notes in a C dim7 are C, Gb, and Bbb.

Step 4: There are three Diminished 7thchords.

The minor third (a whole step followed by a half step) of the one preceding it is the ascending note.Up a third from C is Gb, up another third is Bbb, and so on.Bbb and Dbb are also known as C.

Step 5: Four evenly-spaced notes are contained in every diminished seventh chord.

Since only twelve notes and their octaves exist and since 12 4 is the same as 3, there are only three diminished chords that can be played.

Step 6: The same notes can be found in the C, Eb/D#, Gb/F# and A (Bbb).

Step 7: The C#/Db, E, G, and Bb all have the same notes.

Step 8: The D, F, Ab/G#, and B are the same notes.