How to Play a Diminished Chord on the Piano

Now that we know to form the major and minor chords on the piano (Don't you? Click here to learn all about it) we can move on further in our chord lesson to the third sort of chords, the diminished chords.

Let's have a look for a minute.

In order to change a major chord to a minor chord we lowered the major third in half a tone to a minor third. In fact we diminished it. When we diminish both the middle note of the chord (E in C major) and the upper note of the chord (G in C major) in half a tone we form a diminished chord.

Bottom line the diminished piano chords contain two small thirds. When we compared the minor chord with the major chords we heared that the minor chord sounded more introvert and mellow.
The diminished chords however, have a tensed impact since the two small thirds being so close to each other create tension.

Later when we dig dipper in the theory of the chords we will understand better the function of this chord in musical progressions. For now you should know that the diminished is often serving as a passing chord since its tension is obliged to bring you somewhere (to be solved).

Here's a list of all twelve diminished scales.

And here's a printable version of this excellent piano chord chart.

Next in our basic chords lessons we will learn about the augmented chords. That would be the last part of our basic piano chords lesson. Click here to learn to form Augmented Chords on piano.