F#dim F# diminished chord
- Notes
- F# A C
- Formula
- 1 b3 b5
- Semitones
- 0 3 6 above the root
- Also written
- Gbdim (Gb Bbb Dbb)
- Other symbols
- F#°, F#m(b5)
F# to A is a minor third (3 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones). Two minor thirds stacked, so F# to C is a tritone (6 semitones) instead of a perfect fifth. The four-note F#dim7 and F#m7b5 grow from it by adding a note on top.
F#dim on the piano
Root position from F#4: F#4, A4, C5. Middle C is C4.
F#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 F# as its lowest note.
2 3 4 2 x x (low E to high e)
Sounds F#2 C3 F#3 A3
x 9 10 11 10 x (low E to high e)
Sounds F#3 C4 F#4 A4
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 F#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 | F# A C | F#dim | |
| 1st inversion | A C F# | F#dim/A | |
| 2nd inversion | C F# A | F#dim/C |
Where F#dim fits
F#dim is vii° in G major, ii° in E minor, vii° in G minor. Its root F# is the leading tone of G: a half step below the tonic, so the chord usually moves up to it.