VIRTU

C diminished chord

  1. Cdo
  2. Ebmib
  3. Gbsolb
Root positionRight hand 1-3-5

Cdim chord notes

C 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 Cdim usually passes quickly to a chord a semitone up.

NoteInterval from the rootSemitones
CdoRoot10
EbmibMinor thirdb33
GbsolbDiminished fifthb56
All piano chords

Cdim chord inversions

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

  1. Root position

    C, Eb, Gb

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

  2. First inversion

    Eb, Gb, C

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

  3. Second inversion

    Gb, C, Eb

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

Keys that use Cdim

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

  • D-flat majorVIIdim

Piano practice that remembers

The chords are just the start

Virtu listens to you play, catches the wrong notes, and has today's bars ready before you start

Explore the app

There's a metronome too

Online metronomeKeep your chord changes even, with accents and a speed trainer

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cdim chord?

C diminished (Cdim) is C, Eb, Gb. In solfège that's do, mib, solb.

Which fingers play Cdim?

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 Cdim 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 Cdim lasts a beat or two and moves on.