C♯ diminished chord on piano

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

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C♯dim, diminished chord

C♯, E and G

C♯ diminished chord on a piano keyboard: C♯, E and G, starting from middle C upwardC4EGC5C♯
Root
C♯
Minor third
E
Diminished fifth
G

Formula

1 ♭3 ♭5 (3, 6 half steps above C♯)

Fingering in root position

C♯dim root position: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesC♯EG
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.

C♯dim

Root position

C♯ diminished, root position, on the piano: C♯, E and G from the bottom upC4EGC5C♯
C♯dim root position: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesC♯EG
Right hand135
Left hand531

C♯dim/E

First inversion

C♯ diminished, first inversion, on the piano: E, G and C♯ from the bottom upC4EGC5C♯
C♯dim/E first inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesEGC♯
Right hand125
Left hand531

C♯dim/G

Second inversion

C♯ diminished, second inversion, on the piano: G, C♯ and E from the bottom upC4GC5EC♯
C♯dim/G second inversion: notes from the bottom up and fingering
NotesGC♯E
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
  • vii° in D 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.

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Questions

What notes are in the C♯ diminished chord?

C♯ diminished (C♯dim) 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 (C♯dim/E): E, G and C♯. Second inversion (C♯dim/G): G, C♯ and E.

What key is C♯ diminished in?

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

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