Learn which notes are part of the G diminished chord and how to play this chord in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion on the piano.
What is the G diminished Chord on the Piano?
The symbol for the G diminished chord is Gdim.
The notes of the Gdim chord are G – Bb – Db.
The Gdim chord is a triad because it has three notes: root (G), minor third (Bb), and diminished fifth (Db).
How to Play the G diminished Chord on the Piano?
Below you can see how to play the notes of the G diminished chord on the piano in root position:
You can see that the first note from the left is G (the root), the second note is Bb (the minor third), and the third note is Db (the diminished fifth).
What is the Lowest Note in the G diminished Chord?
Assuming that you are playing the Gdim chord in root position the lowest note is G.
How Do You Remember the Gdim Chord?
Here is how to remember the notes of the G diminished chord:
- Start from the first note of the chord (the root) that for the G diminished chord is G.
- To find the second note of the chord calculate a minor third from the root (Bb).
- Then to find the third note of the chord calculate the diminished fifth from the root (Db).
This applies if you are playing the G diminished chord in root position.
What is the 1st Inversion of the G diminished Chord?
The 1st inversion of the Gdim chord starts with the note Bb.
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the G diminished chord on the piano in the first inversion:
In the 1st inversion, you shift the root of the Gdim chord (G) up one octave compared to the root position.
The notes of the Gdim chord in the 1st inversion are Bb – Db – G.
How Do You Make the 2nd Chord Inversion for Gdim?
The 2nd inversion of the Gdim chord starts with the note Db.
Below you can see how to play the notes of the second inversion of the G diminished chord on the piano:
In the 2nd inversion, you also shift the third of the Gdim chord (Bb) up one octave.
The notes of the 2nd inversion of the Gdim chord are Db – G – Bb.
Also, considering that the Gdim 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 G Chords
The following articles show you how to play other G chords: