Diminished Chord
Definition
Diminished chords are three-note chords that have a tense or unstable sound. They are built using two stacked minor thirds.
Analogy
Imagine being on an elevator that suddenly stops between floors - that's the feeling of a diminished chord. It creates tension and makes you want to resolve it to something more stable.
Related terms
Dominant Seventh Chord: A dominant seventh chord is a four-note chord consisting of a major triad with an added minor seventh interval. It has a strong sense of resolution.
Half-Diminished Chord (Minor 7th Flat 5): A half-diminished chord is also known as the "minor 7th flat 5" chord. It consists of a diminished triad with an added minor seventh interval.
Leading Tone: The leading tone refers to the seventh degree of any diatonic scale, which creates tension and leads strongly to the tonic note.
"Diminished Chord" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.