Diminished Chords
Let’s look at how to play a Bdim (“B diminished”) chord on the piano. We can use this pattern to build any other diminished chord.
What Are Diminished Chords?
Diminished chords are minor chords with the upper-note lowered 1/2 step.
So to build a diminished chord, we’ll start by building a minor chord. We can build a minor chord by taking a major chord and lowering the middle note 1/2 step.
Then to convert the minor chord into a diminished chord, we’ll lower the upper-note 1/2 step.
This post covers diminished chords in more detail.
How to Play a Bdim Chord
To build a Bdim chord, we’ll first build a B minor chord. We can build a B minor chord by taking a B major chord and lowering the middle note 1/2 step: B – D – F♯
Then we’ll take the upper-note, F♯, and lower it 1/2 step to F.
So to play a Bdim chord, we’ll play:
B – D – F

We can use this pattern to build any other diminished chord, by taking the matching minor chord and lowering the upper-note 1/2 step.
Another way to label diminished chords is with the º symbol, so we could also write Bdim as Bº.
Other Chord Types
Some other chord types you can learn are:
Major
Minor
Augmented
Second
Minor Second
Suspended
Fifth
Sixth
Minor Sixth
Seventh
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Ninth
Minor Ninth
Major Ninth
Conclusion
Now you know how to build a Bdim chord on the piano, and you can use that pattern to build any other diminished chord!
Chords are a wonderful way to learn and enjoy the piano!
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