Discover the notes that are in the F# diminished chord and how to play it on the piano in root position and in both inversions.
What Does the F# diminished Chord Look Like on the Piano?
The symbol for the F# diminished chord is F#dim.
The notes of the F#dim chord are F# – A – C.
The F#dim chord is a triad because it has three notes: root (F#), minor third (A), and diminished fifth (C).
How to Play the F# diminished Chord on the Piano?
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the F# diminished chord on the piano in root position:
You can see that the first note from the left is F# (the root), the second note is A (the minor third), and the third note is C (the diminished fifth).
What is the Lowest Note in the F# diminished Chord?
Making the assumption that you are playing the F#dim chord in root position the lowest note is F#.
How Do You Remember the F#dim Chord?
Here is how to remember the notes of the F# diminished chord:
- Start from the first note of the chord (the root) that for the F# diminished chord is F#.
- To find the second note of the chord calculate a minor third from the root (A).
- Then to find the third note of the chord calculate the diminished fifth from the root (C).
This applies if you are playing the F# diminished chord in root position.
What is the 1st Inversion of the F# diminished Chord?
The 1st inversion of the F#dim chord starts with the note A.
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the F# diminished chord on the piano in the first inversion:
In the 1st inversion, you shift the root of the F#dim chord (F#) one octave higher compared to the root position.
The notes of the F#dim chord in the 1st inversion are A – C – F#.
How Do You Play the 2nd Inversion of the F#dim Chord?
The 2nd inversion of the F#dim chord starts with the note C.
Below you can see how to play the notes of the second inversion of the F# diminished chord on the piano:
In the 2nd inversion, you also shift the third of the F#dim chord (A) up one octave.
The notes of the 2nd inversion of the F#dim chord are C – F# – A.
Also, considering that the F#dim chord is a triad (it consists of three notes) there is no 3rd inversion because it would be the same as the root position.
Learn Other F# Chords
The following articles show you how to play other F# chords: