C#dim C# diminished chord
- Notes
- C# E G
- Formula
- 1 b3 b5
- Semitones
- 0 3 6 above the root
- Also written
- Dbdim (Db Fb Abb)
- Other symbols
- C#°, C#m(b5)
C# to E is a minor third (3 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones). Two minor thirds stacked, so C# to G is a tritone (6 semitones) instead of a perfect fifth. The four-note C#dim7 and C#m7b5 grow from it by adding a note on top.
C#dim on the piano
Root position from C#4: C#4, E4, G4. Middle C is C4.
C#dim on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has C# as its lowest note.
x 4 5 6 5 x (low E to high e)
Sounds C#3 G3 C#4 E4
9 10 11 9 x x (low E to high e)
Sounds C#3 G3 C#4 E4
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play diminished chords on other roots.
Inversions of C#dim
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C# E G | C#dim | |
| 1st inversion | E G C# | C#dim/E | |
| 2nd inversion | G C# E | C#dim/G |
Where C#dim fits
C#dim is vii° in D major, ii° in B minor, vii° in D minor. Its root C# is the leading tone of D: a half step below the tonic, so the chord usually moves up to it.