Piano chord
A Diminished Chord
Adim is a diminished chord built on A. It contains the notes A – C – E♭.
Adim
Also written: A°, Am♭5
- A
- C
- E♭
Notes in Adim
Count up from A using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the A major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Root | 1 | 0 |
| C | Minor 3rd | ♭3 | 3 |
| E♭ | Diminished 5th | ♭5 | 6 |
How to play Adim on piano
- Right hand: fingers 1–3–5 (thumb on A).
- Left hand: fingers 5–3–1 (little finger on the lowest note).
- Press the keys together, then try playing them one at a time as an arpeggio.
Adim inversions
An inversion puts a different note of Adim at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
AdimA – C – E♭
1st inversion
Adim/CC – E♭ – A
2nd inversion
Adim/E♭E♭ – A – C
About diminished chords
Stack two minor 3rds and you get pure tension. Diminished chords are the sound of suspense, dread, and impending drama.
Sound: Dark & suspenseful
Songs that use it
- Chim Chim Cher-ee · Mary PoppinsMusical
- Super Mario Bros. Theme · Koji KondoGame Music
- Psycho Theme · Bernard HerrmannFilm Score
Keys that contain Adim
Adim is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear Adim with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
Open in the chord builderPractising on an acoustic piano that sounds off?
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