Diminished chord.html



A diminished chord (Play (help·info)) is a triad consisting of a minor third and a diminished fifth above the root — if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an E♭ and a G♭. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered (or diminished) fifth.

In the common practice period, the diminished chord is considered dissonant, or unstable. It lacks tonal center or drive because the diminished fifth symmetrically divides the octave.

A diminished chord occurs in a major scale only on the seventh scale degree; in the key of C, this is a B diminished chord (B, D, F). This also occurs in the seventh chord built on the fifth note; in C, this is G dominant seventh (G, B, D, F).

In a twelve-tone equal tempered tuning, a diminished chord has 3 semitones between the third and fifth, 3 between the root and third, and 6 between the root and fifth. It is represented by the integer notation 0, 3, 6.