Piano chord · Sevenths
C diminished 7th chord on piano
Right hand: C (1), E♭ (2), G♭ (3), B𝄫 (5)
How to play Cdim7 on piano: the keys to press, which fingers to use, inversions and how it’s written on the staff.
Symmetrical and very tense — every note is a minor 3rd apart.
Cdim7 is the vii°7 chord in C♯ minor.
- Notes
- CE♭G♭B𝄫
- Formula
- 1♭3♭5𝄫7
- Built from
- root · minor 3rd · diminished 5th · diminished 7th
Piano
Root position · numbers are finger numbers
How to play it
Right handC1 · thumbE♭2 · indexG♭3 · middleB𝄫5 · pinky
Left handC5 · pinkythe root, an octave lower
Finger numbers: 1 thumb · 2 index · 3 middle · 4 ring · 5 pinky. Inversions use the same notes with a different one on the bottom — they help you move smoothly between chords. Tap any key to hear it.
Tips for playing Cdim7 on piano
On piano, Cdim7 has two black keys (E♭ and G♭) and two white keys.
Notice the B𝄫 in Cdim7 (C E♭ G♭ B𝄫): each note of the chord takes its own letter (C–E–G–B), so the diminished 7th has to be written B𝄫 rather than A — the same key on a piano, spelled to fit the chord.
