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A# diminished chord

  1. A#la#
  2. C#do#
  3. Emi
Root positionRight hand 1-3-5

A#dim chord notes

A# diminished stacks two minor thirds, three semitones and then three, so its top note is a diminished fifth above the root. It sounds tense and unstable, and A#dim usually passes quickly to a chord a semitone up.

NoteInterval from the rootSemitones
A#la#Root10
C#do#Minor thirdb33
EmiDiminished fifthb56
All piano chords

A#dim chord inversions

An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. Using A#dim's inversions keeps your hand close to the next chord, so you move less between chords.

  1. Root position

    A#, C#, E

    Right hand
    1-3-5
    Left hand
    5-3-1

  2. First inversion

    C#, E, A#

    Right hand
    1-2-5
    Left hand
    5-3-1

  3. Second inversion

    E, A#, C#

    Right hand
    1-3-5
    Left hand
    5-2-1

Keys that use A#dim

In these major keys A#dim is one of the key's own chords. The numeral beside each key is its place in that key, as chord charts write it.

  • B majorVIIdim

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Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A#dim chord?

A# diminished (A#dim) is A#, C#, E. In solfège that's la#, do#, mi.

Which fingers play A#dim?

In root position, the right hand plays 1-3-5 and the left hand 5-3-1, counting from the lowest note. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5.

Where is A#dim used?

As a passing chord between two chords a whole step apart, and as the VII chord of the major key a semitone above its root. In both places A#dim lasts a beat or two and moves on.