Understanding the fundamentals of music theory can be surprisingly daunting. With no shortage of industry lingo, it can be hard to wrap your head around basic concepts, even something as simple as grasping the different types of chords .

Fortunately, we've put together a guide to help you unpack one of the more confusing chords, the diminished chord. Below, we'll show you exactly how to put together a diminished triad, a diminished seventh chord, and more so that you start building more complex music. Let's take a look!

Understanding Chords

We have a more comprehensive guide featured in our piece on the different types of chords, but contextually, all you need to understand is that chords are a collection of notes played in harmony that appeal to the human ear. Chords can be broken down into different classifications like major, minor, augmented, or diminished, which is what we are going to be talking about today. Chords are named based on the notes they contain and their context within a song.

So, What is a Diminished Chord, Exactly?

A diminished chord might have a dissonant sound on its own, but it's quite useful and enjoyable when placed within the right context. As showcased below, there are several types of diminished chords, but the most basic type refers to a specific triad.

To build a diminished chord or triad, you utilize a minor triad with a flattened fifth. For example, if we take the D minor chord (D F A) and make it a D diminished triad, we will need to flatten the fifth to create D F Ab. Diminished chords are written using the abbreviation "dim" or utilizing this symbol, "°".

Examples of Diminished Chords in Music

There are plenty of popular songs that make use of diminished chords! Here are a select few to help you understand what makes diminished chords so special:

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles

This classic psychedelic song utilizes a chord sequence chock full of diminished chords:

Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix creates tension with a series of diminished guitar chords in this musical epic:

All Star by Smash Mouth

This song keeps the tension of the chorus with a diminished chord:

Iron Lung by Radiohead

With an A diminished triad to a C diminished triad, this rock classic builds an unnerving ending:

How To Use Diminished Chords In Your Music

So, how can you put diminished chords to good use? Here are the most common ways musicians like to use diminished chords in compositions.

Leading Tone

The leading tone in chord progressions or music is a note that points towards the direction of another note through context. Diminished chords are in a unique position to lead the listener's ears to the vi chord in a progression. You can feel the tension this leading tone creates in Sam Smith's breakout hit Stay With Me 's chorus:

Modulation

Since the diminished chord naturally builds in a leading tone, it can be used to modulate or smoothly transition to another key. Using your half steps to switch to a new key in a different section of a song can help build impact across a composition.

Coloring

Diminished chords naturally build tension and add depth across plain major chords or minor chords that might make for a relatively mundane listening experience. The surprise of a diminished tone can be used to add emotional depth across classical music, popular music, and beyond.

Add Tension

Diminished chords often fit outside the typical major or minor chord progression, building tension and intrigue. This is especially true when utilizing a diminished chord paired with a seventh scale degree that naturally leads back to the root note of the major chord or minor chord defining the composition.

3 Types of Diminished Chords

As showcased, the basics of a diminished chord structure boil down to the root note, a minor third, and a flattened fifth. Diminished chords can be further broken down by their use case into these four categories:

Diminished Triads

As with any triad or three-note chord, a diminished chord starts with the root note, third note, and fifth note of any particular scale. The third and fifth notes are flattened to build the diminished triad.

Diminished Seventh Chord or Fully Diminished Chord

The diminished seventh chord has an additional note on top of the basic triad structure, for a total of four notes. It has a root note, minor third, diminished fifth, and diminished 7th note. For instance, the C minor 7 chord or C Eb G Bb would have to be C Eb Gb Bbb to become C dim 7. This may feel confusing, but just remember that the diminished tone has been lowered by one semitone.

Half Diminished Chord

A half diminished chord is a specific type of seventh chord. The half diminished seventh chord has a diminished chord triad with a minor seventh flat instead of a diminished seventh tone. So, a C half diminished seventh chord would be C Eb Gb Bb.

Diminished Chord FAQs

Diminished chords are a powerful tool when used in the right context of a song. Use these frequently asked questions and answers to help you incorporate diminished chords in your music:

What is a diminished chord in music?

A diminished chord is a minor chord that has a flattened fifth. If we take the chord of Cm, or C Eb G, we can create a C diminished chord by flattening the fifth scale degree, or G to Gb to create the full C dim chord of C Eb Gb.

What is an example of a diminished chord?

There are plenty of examples of diminished chords in music, as they are commonly used to transition to the beginning of a chord progression or modulate to another key. You can hear diminished chords in pop music at work in songs like This Love by Maroon 5, Chattanooga Choo Choo by Glenn Miller, and SOS by ABBA.

What is a diminished vs minor chord?

A diminished chord is a minor chord with a flattened fifth note. For instance, we can take an A minor chord, A C E and transition it to A dim by lowering the E or fifth one semitone to create A C Eb.

What are the 3 diminished chords?

These are three subgroups within the overarching category of diminished chords. You'll discover that there are fully diminished seventh chords, diminished triads, and half-diminished chords each with their own classification and use case.

Hopefully, this guide makes it easier for you to understand the distinct power of the diminished triad and beyond. Use these interesting chords to spice up your music and create seamless transitions across your music. Take this bite of music theory and put it to good use!