The D flat diminished chord contains D♭, F♭ and A𝄫, with formula 1–♭3–♭5. On a piano F♭ sounds on E and A𝄫 on G. Keep the written spelling when reading the three positions.
Build the D flat diminished chord by lowering the fifth of D♭ minor from A♭ to A𝄫. Its minor third is F♭. The pitches lie three and six semitones above D♭, giving two stacked minor thirds in root position. The double flat lowers A by two semitones.
Preserve the written spelling F♭, A𝄫 even when it shares a piano key with a simpler enharmonic name.
Choose a position to keep the written notes, sounding keys, bass note, playback and print reference synchronized.
Choose the pitch classes sounding as D♭, E and G in the exercise. E represents F♭ and G represents A𝄫 for this chord. Choosing A♭ rather than G leaves a perfect fifth, so it does not produce the requested diminished triad.
D♭dim uses 1–♭3–♭5: D♭–F♭–A𝄫.
Compared with D♭ minor, lower the fifth by one semitone.
The chord tones stay the same while the lowest chord tone changes.
| Position | Symbol | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position, current selection | D♭dim | D♭4–F♭4–A𝄫4 | D♭4 |
| First inversion | D♭dim/F♭ | F♭4–A𝄫4–D♭5 | F♭4 |
| Second inversion | D♭dim/A𝄫 | A𝄫4–D♭5–F♭5 | A𝄫4 |
The D flat diminished chord diagrams retain F♭ and A𝄫 in their labels while marking the sounding E and G keys. They show pitches and registers, without assigned finger numbers. Check the written bass and octave before comparing an inversion.
Use the written notes, keyboard positions and playback without treating the diagram as a required hand shape.
Read left- and right-hand finger numbersOpen Music Theory
Supports: diminished triad formula and written tone spelling
Scope: Supports the chord formula and spelling only; keyboard layouts are PianoGrid examples, and no fingering is assigned.
D♭, F♭ and A𝄫. They are the root, minor third and diminished fifth; the written letters D, F and A preserve the triad structure.
The D flat diminished chord needs a diminished fifth above D♭. A♭ is a perfect fifth, so it is lowered once more to A𝄫. That written pitch sounds on a G key on the piano.
No. They share a key on the piano. F♭ preserves the third above D♭, while the keyboard supplies the corresponding sounding pitch. The diagram keeps both the written relationship and the sounding key clear.
No. This page gives a three-note diminished triad. D♭dim7 and D♭m7♭5 add different sevenths; those four-note collections should not be substituted for the triad shown here.
Select the three pitch classes that make D♭dim, then check your answer.
This one-octave exercise checks pitch classes. Order and octave do not affect the result; fingering and live performance are not assessed.
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.
Chord tones: D♭–F♭–A𝄫 · Formula: 1, ♭3, ♭5
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.