A diminished chord has a tense, dark and unstable sound. It's build up out of a ground note, a major third and a diminished fifth.
There's an easy trick to create a diminished chord. The C major chord has the notes C (the root), E (the major third) and the G (the perfect fifth). A diminished C major chord consists of C, Eb and Gb.
Usage
Diminished chords are used in all musical genres, such as pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, heavy metal and country music. It is common to use a diminished chord as a bridge between two other chords.
Examples
Diminished chords are often used as complementing chords to introduce another chord, like in:
- George Harrison "My Sweet Lord"
- Boy Paplo "Losing You"
- John Mayer "Who Says"
- Maroon 5 "This Love"
Play
You can use a diminished chord in different ways:
- Transition Chords: Use them to smoothly move from one chord to another.
- Harmonic Glue: Diminished chords can connect different harmonies within a progression.
- Creating Forward Momentum: Their unresolved sound propels the music forward.
- Line Clichés: Diminished chords can be part of common melodic patterns.
- Chord Substitution: Replace minor chords with diminished chords for a unique twist.
Beware: A diminished chord can sound very unsetling and dissonant by itself
