Adim, diminished chord
A, C and E♭
- Root
- A
- Minor third
- C
- Diminished fifth
- E♭
Formula
1 ♭3 ♭5 (3, 6 half steps above A)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | A | C | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
A diminished inversions
A diminished has 2 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
Adim
Root position
| Notes | A | C | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Adim/C
First inversion
| Notes | C | E♭ | A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Adim/E♭
Second inversion
| Notes | E♭ | A | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with A diminished
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. A diminished appears as:
- vii° in B♭ major
- ii° in G minor
- vii° in B♭ minor
How A diminished is built
A is the root, C the minor third and E♭ the diminished fifth.
A diminished chord stacks two minor thirds: the root, a minor third (3 half steps up) and a diminished fifth (6 half steps up). It sounds tense and usually moves on to another chord.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of A diminished are A, C, E. That is why it is spelled A, C and E♭.
Find A diminished yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 3
Tap the notes of A diminished, in any octave and any order.
Practice A diminished in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the A diminished chord?
A diminished (Adim) has three notes: A, C and E♭. A is the root, C the minor third and E♭ the diminished fifth.
What fingers do you use for A diminished on piano?
In root position, play A, C and E♭ with right hand fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of A diminished?
A diminished has 2 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (Adim/C): C, E♭ and A. Second inversion (Adim/E♭): E♭, A and C.
What key is A diminished in?
A diminished appears as vii° in B♭ major, ii° in G minor and vii° in B♭ minor.