Root position B♭dim
B♭ – D♭ – F♭
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
B♭ Diminished Chord on Piano
B♭dim B♭ D♭ F♭ Formula 1 b3 b5 3 notes
Also written A♯ dim: the same keys under another name.
Notes
What notes are in the B♭ Diminished chord?
The B♭ Diminished chord has 3 notes: B♭, D♭, F♭. Two minor thirds stacked: 3 half steps, then 3 more. The diminished fifth (6 half steps from B♭) gives it its tension. Spelled by the rules of harmony, F♭ is the E key on the keyboard.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ | Root | 0 |
| D♭ | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| F♭ (the E key) | Diminished 5th | 6 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play B♭ Diminished
The same notes in a different order. The lowest note changes the name after the slash; the fingering below is the usual one - right hand from the lowest key up, left hand from the lowest key up too.
1st inversion B♭dim/D♭
D♭ – F♭ – B♭
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
2nd inversion B♭dim/E
F♭ – B♭ – D♭
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
Where it lives
Keys and scales with B♭ Diminished
Every key where B♭dim is one of the seven chords, with its Roman numeral, and the scales whose notes include all of it - the ones to improvise over it.
In these keys
Scales that contain all its notes
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the B♭ Diminished chord?
The B♭ Diminished chord (B♭dim) is made of B♭, D♭, F♭. Its formula is 1 b3 b5 - the root, then the intervals of a diminished chord.
How do you play B♭dim on the piano?
Put your right thumb on B♭ and play the other notes with fingers 1-3-5. With the left hand, use fingers 5-3-1 from the lowest key up.
What are the inversions of B♭dim?
root position B♭dim (B♭ D♭ F♭); 1st inversion B♭dim/D♭ (D♭ F♭ B♭); 2nd inversion B♭dim/E (F♭ B♭ D♭).
Is B♭ Diminished the same as A♯ dim?
On the piano, yes: the same keys. The name changes with the key you are in - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Play it for real
Hold B♭dim and build a progression on it
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