C diminished chord on piano

The C diminished chord (Cdim) is C, E♭ and G♭. Here it is on the keyboard, with the fingers to use, every inversion and how it fits into keys.

Free, no signup. By the MasterPiano team, makers of a piano practice app. Updated .

Cdim, diminished chord

C, E♭ and G♭

C diminished chord on a piano keyboard: C, E♭ and G♭, starting from middle C upwardCC5E♭G♭
Root
C
Minor third
E♭
Diminished fifth
G♭

Formula

1 ♭3 ♭5 (3, 6 half steps above C)

Fingering in root position

Cdim root position: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesCE♭G♭
Right hand135
Left hand531

C diminished inversions

C 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.

Cdim

Root position

C diminished, root position, on the piano: C, E♭ and G♭ from the bottom upCC5E♭G♭
Cdim root position: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesCE♭G♭
Right hand135
Left hand531

Cdim/E♭

First inversion

C diminished, first inversion, on the piano: E♭, G♭ and C from the bottom upC4CE♭G♭
Cdim/E♭ first inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesE♭G♭C
Right hand125
Left hand531

Cdim/G♭

Second inversion

C diminished, second inversion, on the piano: G♭, C and E♭ from the bottom upC4CG♭E♭
Cdim/G♭ second inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesG♭CE♭
Right hand135
Left hand521

Keys with C diminished

Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. C diminished appears as:

  • vii° in D♭ major
  • ii° in B♭ minor

How C diminished is built

C is the root, E♭ the minor third and G♭ 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 C diminished are C, E, G. That is why it is spelled C, E♭ and G♭.

Find C 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 C diminished, in any octave and any order.

CDEFGABCDEFGAB

Practice C 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 free

Questions

What notes are in the C diminished chord?

C diminished (Cdim) has three notes: C, E♭ and G♭. C is the root, E♭ the minor third and G♭ the diminished fifth.

What fingers do you use for C diminished on piano?

In root position, play C, E♭ and G♭ 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 C diminished?

C diminished has 2 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (Cdim/E♭): E♭, G♭ and C. Second inversion (Cdim/G♭): G♭, C and E♭.

What key is C diminished in?

C diminished appears as vii° in D♭ major and ii° in B♭ minor.

More free piano tools