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C# diminished chord

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

C#dim 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 C#dim usually passes quickly to a chord a semitone up.

NoteInterval from the rootSemitones
C#do#Root10
EmiMinor thirdb33
GsolDiminished fifthb56
All piano chords

C#dim chord inversions

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

  1. Root position

    C#, E, G

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

  2. First inversion

    E, G, C#

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

  3. Second inversion

    G, C#, E

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

Keys that use C#dim

In these major keys C#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.

  • D majorVIIdim

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Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C#dim chord?

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

Which fingers play C#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 C#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 C#dim lasts a beat or two and moves on.