Piano chord · Triads
F diminished chord on piano
Right hand: F (1), A♭ (3), C♭ (5)
How to play Fdim on piano: the keys to press, which fingers to use, inversions and how it’s written on the staff.
Tense and unstable — it usually wants to resolve up by a half step.
Fdim is the vii° chord in F♯ major. In minor keys: ii° in E♭ minor.
- Notes
- FA♭C♭
- Formula
- 1♭3♭5
- Built from
- root · minor 3rd · diminished 5th
Piano
Root position · numbers are finger numbers
How to play it
Right handF1 · thumbA♭3 · middleC♭5 · pinky
Left handF5 · 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 Fdim on piano
On piano, Fdim has one black key (A♭) and two white keys.
Notice the C♭ in Fdim (F A♭ C♭): each note of the chord takes its own letter (F–A–C), so the diminished 5th has to be written C♭ rather than B — the same key on a piano, spelled to fit the chord.
