Piano chords · Diminished chord

G♯dim piano chord (G♯ diminished)

G♯dim (also written A♭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.

G♯BD

G♯ – B – D · tap any key to hear it

The notes of G♯dim

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

G♯, the root
B, the minor third
D, the diminished fifth

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

Fingering

Right hand: 1 on G♯, 3 on B, 5 on D.
Left hand: 5 on G♯, 3 on B, 1 on D.

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	G♯ – B – D
1st inversion	B – D – G♯
2nd inversion	D – G♯ – B

Where G♯dim belongs

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

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

Hear it in a progression

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

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Questions people ask

What notes are in the G♯dim chord?

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

How do you play G♯dim on piano?

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

How is G♯dim different from the plain chord?