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C-sharp Diminished Chord
The C-sharp Diminished Chord is C-sharp, E, and G, with the thumb on the black key and the two white keys close above it. Because the thumb starts on a black key, it helps to let the whole hand sit a little further into the keys. The chord is tight and tense, and it tends to lean toward D, a half step above.
How to play the C-sharp Diminished Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C-sharp Diminished Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The C-sharp Diminished Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C♯ diminished chord are stacked in thirds with C♯ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C-sharp Diminished Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C♯ E G |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯dim or C♯° |
The C-sharp Diminished Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C♯) jumps up to the top.
| C-sharp Diminished Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E G C♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯°6 or C♯°/E |
The C-sharp Diminished Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E) goes to the top.
| C-sharp Diminished Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G C♯ E |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯°6/4 or C♯°/G |
C-sharp Diminished Chord theory and function
A diminished chord stacks two minor thirds, and the result is tense and unsettled. It is never a place to rest. It behaves like a dominant 7th chord with the root missing, so it wants to move.
The C♯ diminished chord is the leading-tone chord (vii°) in D major. In minor keys, it is the leading-tone chord (vii°) in D minor and the supertonic (ii°) in B minor. On the keyboard this is the same chord as D♭ diminished, a spelling none of the common keys uses.
The notes C♯, E, and G are the top three notes of A7, so the chord leads to D the way A7 does. A common use is as a passing chord over a rising bass line, I – vii°6 – I6: D – C♯°/E – D/F♯, so the bass walks D, E, F♯. Try playing C♯° and then D and listen to how the tension settles.
Other chords built on C-sharp
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