Passing diminished
in B major
Piano chord
C Diminished 7th Piano Chord (Cdim7)
The C Diminished 7th chord on piano is made of the notes C, E♭, G♭ and A. Highly tense and symmetrical. Every note is 3 semitones apart.
Tap any key to hear it.
What notes are in C Diminished 7th?
4 notes, built 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭♭7 up from C.
- Notes
- C – E♭ – G♭ – A
- Formula
- 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭♭7
- Semitones from the root
- 0 – 3 – 6 – 9
- Symbol
- Cdim7
- Chord type
- Diminished 7th, 4 notes
How to play C Diminished 7th on piano
- Right hand: C (1), E♭ (2), G♭ (3), A (5). Fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5, thumb on C.
- Left hand: C (5), E♭ (3), G♭ (2), A (1). Fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on C.
Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) on both hands.
C Diminished 7th inversions
Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: Cdim7/E♭, Cdim7/G♭, Cdim7/A.
Can you find C Diminished 7th?
Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.
1 / 6 Tap the notes of C Diminished 7th (Cdim7)
Score 0
Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.
What key is C Diminished 7th in?
The keys whose scale contains every note of Cdim7, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.
Minor keys
- C♯ minorvii°7 (harmonic minor)
C Diminished 7th chord FAQ
What notes are in the C Diminished 7th chord?
C Diminished 7th (Cdim7) has 4 notes: C, E♭, G♭ and A. Its formula is 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭♭7, counted up from C.
How do you play C Diminished 7th on the piano?
Put your right thumb on C and play C, E♭, G♭ and A with fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on C.
What are the inversions of C Diminished 7th?
1st inversion: E♭, G♭, A, C (Cdim7/E♭). 2nd inversion: G♭, A, C, E♭ (Cdim7/G♭). 3rd inversion: A, C, E♭, G♭ (Cdim7/A).