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The C diminished chord on piano
C diminished is built from C, D♯, F♯. Press play above to hear it.
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What notes are in the C diminished chord?
The C diminished chord is made up of C, D♯, F♯.
Notes & intervals
| C | Root |
| D♯ | Minor third |
| F♯ | Diminished fifth |
How to play it
Right hand
1-3-5
Left hand
5-3-1
Black keys: 2
Which keys use the C diminished chord?
C diminished occurs naturally in these keys: ii° of A♯ minor, vii° of C♯ major.
Which keys use it
How it sounds
A diminished chord sounds tense and unstable — it wants to resolve somewhere else.