Ddim, diminished chord
D, F and A♭
- Root
- D
- Minor third
- F
- Diminished fifth
- A♭
Formula
1 ♭3 ♭5 (3, 6 half steps above D)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | D | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
D diminished inversions
D 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.
Ddim
Root position
| Notes | D | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Ddim/F
First inversion
| Notes | F | A♭ | D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
Ddim/A♭
Second inversion
| Notes | A♭ | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with D diminished
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. D diminished appears as:
- vii° in E♭ major
- ii° in C minor
- vii° in E♭ minor
How D diminished is built
D is the root, F the minor third and A♭ 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 D diminished are D, F, A. That is why it is spelled D, F and A♭.
Find D 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 D diminished, in any octave and any order.
Practice D 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 D diminished chord?
D diminished (Ddim) has three notes: D, F and A♭. D is the root, F the minor third and A♭ the diminished fifth.
What fingers do you use for D diminished on piano?
In root position, play D, F and A♭ 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 D diminished?
D diminished has 2 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (Ddim/F): F, A♭ and D. Second inversion (Ddim/A♭): A♭, D and F.
What key is D diminished in?
D diminished appears as vii° in E♭ major, ii° in C minor and vii° in E♭ minor.