Triads
D♯ diminished chord
Tense and unstable — it usually wants to resolve up by a half step.
D♯dim is the vii° chord in E major. In minor keys: ii° in C♯ minor.
- Notes
- D♯F♯A
- Formula
- 1♭3♭5
- Built from
- root · minor 3rd · diminished 5th
How to play D♯dim
About the D♯ diminished chord
Playing it
On guitar, the usual D♯dim shape is xx1242 at the 1st fret. It has no open strings, so it’s a movable shape — slide it along the neck for other diminished chords. Don’t strum the low E and A strings.
On piano, D♯dim has two black keys (D♯ and F♯) and one white key.
On ukulele the usual D♯dim shape is 2320, using three fingers.
