Piano chord
D♯ Diminished Chord
D♯dim is a diminished chord built on D♯. It contains the notes D♯ – F♯ – A.
D♯dim
Also written: D♯°, D♯m♭5, E♭dim
- D♯
- F♯
- A
Notes in D♯dim
Count up from D♯ using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the D♯ major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| D♯ | Root | 1 | 0 |
| F♯ | Minor 3rd | ♭3 | 3 |
| A | Diminished 5th | ♭5 | 6 |
How to play D♯dim on piano
- Right hand: fingers 1–3–5 (thumb on D♯).
- 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.
D♯dim inversions
An inversion puts a different note of D♯dim at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
D♯dimD♯ – F♯ – A
1st inversion
D♯dim/F♯F♯ – A – D♯
2nd inversion
D♯dim/AA – D♯ – F♯
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 D♯dim
D♯dim is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear D♯dim with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
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