Root position F♯dim
F♯ – A – C
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
F♯ Diminished Chord on Piano
F♯dim F♯ A C Formula 1 b3 b5 3 notes
Also written G♭ dim: the same keys under another name.
Notes
What notes are in the F♯ Diminished chord?
The F♯ Diminished chord has 3 notes: F♯, A, C. Two minor thirds stacked: 3 half steps, then 3 more. The diminished fifth (6 half steps from F♯) gives it its tension.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| F♯ | Root | 0 |
| A | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| C | Diminished 5th | 6 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play F♯ 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 F♯dim/A
A – C – F♯
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
2nd inversion F♯dim/C
C – F♯ – A
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
Where it lives
Keys and scales with F♯ Diminished
Every key where F♯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 F♯ Diminished chord?
The F♯ Diminished chord (F♯dim) is made of F♯, A, C. Its formula is 1 b3 b5 - the root, then the intervals of a diminished chord.
How do you play F♯dim on the piano?
Put your right thumb on F♯ 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 F♯dim?
root position F♯dim (F♯ A C); 1st inversion F♯dim/A (A C F♯); 2nd inversion F♯dim/C (C F♯ A).
Is F♯ Diminished the same as G♭ 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 F♯dim and build a progression on it
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