Piano chords · Diminished chord

C♯dim piano chord (C♯ diminished)

C♯dim (also written D♭dim) is a diminished chord with 3 notes. It sounds tense and unstable, pulling towards the next chord. Here's how to find it, play it and hear it.

C♯EG

C♯ – E – G · tap any key to hear it

The notes of C♯dim

C♯dim is built from 3 notes (1 – ♭3 – ♭5):

C♯, the root
E, the minor third
G, the diminished fifth

C♯ is a black key, so keep your hand slightly further in, towards the fallboard, to reach it without stretching.

Fingering

Right hand: 1 on C♯, 3 on E, 5 on G.
Left hand: 5 on C♯, 3 on E, 1 on G.

Press every key at exactly the same moment, with the same weight. If one note sounds louder or a fraction late, the chord sounds uneven: play it slowly and listen for one sound.

Inversions

An inversion is the same notes in a different order, with a different note at the bottom. Inversions let you move between chords without jumping around the keyboard.

Position	Notes, bottom to top
Root position	C♯ – E – G
1st inversion	E – G – C♯
2nd inversion	G – C♯ – E

Where C♯dim belongs

C♯dim is the vii° chord in D major, the chord that leads up a half step to D.

C♯dim is C♯m with the fifth lowered a half step (G♯ becomes G). That shrunken fifth is what makes it tense.

Hear it in a progression

D – G – C♯dim – D: I – IV – vii° – I in D major: listen to the diminished chord pull home.

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Questions people ask

What notes are in the C♯dim chord?

C♯dim (C♯ diminished) is made of C♯, E and G: the root, minor third and diminished fifth.

How do you play C♯dim on piano?

With your right hand, use fingers 1 on C♯, 3 on E, 5 on G, and press them together. With your left hand: 5 on C♯, 3 on E, 1 on G.

How is C♯dim different from the plain chord?