diminished chord
Minor third stack
A diminished chord is built from minor thirds stacked on top of each other, creating an unstable, tense sound that seems to want resolution.
The most common form, the diminished triad, contains a root, minor third, and diminished fifth.
A fully diminished seventh chord adds another minor third on top.
Composers use diminished chords to create tension or transition between other harmonies: The pianist resolved the diminished chord into a warm major.
- minorScale with lowered third
- minor thirdThree-semitone pitch distance
- seventhOrdinal for seven
- tritoneSix-semitone musical interval
- tensionStretched or strained state
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