Topmusicanswers
A diminished chord is a triad built from the root note, minor third, and a diminished fifth. It's a chord with two minor thirds above the root. Meaning three semitones separate the third and fifth notes of the chord.
What makes a diminished chord?
A diminished chord is a type of chord that contains a minor 3rd (three half steps above the root) coupled with a diminished 5th (six half steps above the root). It has a distinctive timbre: tense, dark, and unstable sounding.
Are there only 3 diminished chords?
The diminished chord is built out of minor 3rds (3 semitones). ... Because of this the diminished chord repeats at intervals of minor thirds. This means there are only 3 unique diminished chords: Cdim7 = E♭dim7 = G♭dim7 = Adim7.
Why is the 7 chord diminished?
Because these chords have no leading tone in relation to the chords to which they resolve, they cannot properly have dominant function. They are therefore referred to commonly as non-dominant diminished seventh chords or common tone diminished seventh chords (see below).
