G Diminished Chord on Piano
The G Diminished chord is made of 3 notes — G4 A♯4 C♯5. Play it right here in your browser: no install, no sign-up.
What notes are in the G Diminished chord?
The G Diminished chord is built from G4 A♯4 C♯5. By scale degrees that is 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 — in other words root · minor 3rd · diminished 5th (0 · 3 · 6 semitones above the root G). The root of the chord is G, and the other tones are stacked above it in thirds.
What gives the G Diminished chord its sound?
A diminished chord is the sound of suspense. It stacks two minor thirds on top of each other — root, a note three semitones above, and another three semitones above that — so the top note lands six semitones from the root. That span is the tritone, known for centuries as the interval of tension. With no perfect fifth to anchor it, a diminished chord refuses to settle; it feels as though it is leaning, waiting to fall somewhere else.
You hear diminished chords in horror-film stingers, in the chromatic runs of classical cadenzas, and as sharp passing chords that squeeze between two more stable sounds. They rarely stay for long — their job is to build pressure that the next chord releases. Play G diminished here, notice how it seems to pose a question, then answer it by moving to a major or minor chord a semitone away.
Everything here is ready to play in your browser, with no install and no sign-up. The highlighted keys above show exactly where the G Diminished chord sits on this keyboard, and Play notes sounds the whole chord at once so you can hear it before you learn it. Carry it over to the online piano and you can play the chord on any of seven real instruments — try it on the Piano, then on the Rhodes or Music Box to hear how the same notes change character — shift it into any key with the Octave and Transpose controls, or hold Space to let it ring like a sustained piano chord.
Chords rarely sound their best in isolation. To put the G Diminished chord to work, browse the complete set of piano chords for every root and quality, look at the scales that share these notes, or drop the chord into a real piece from the easy piano songs, where each song has its own playable keyboard. You can also record your own version: use the online piano recorder to capture a short progression built around this chord and download it as an MP3 to keep.
If you are just starting out, the simplest way to learn any chord is to play it slowly, name each note out loud, and then play it in a few different octaves with the Octave control. Once your fingers know the shape, practice switching between this chord and its nearest relative — the one a fifth above or below — until the move feels automatic. That single habit builds the muscle memory behind almost every song you will ever play.
Play the G Diminished chord
The highlighted keys below are G4 A♯4 C♯5. Click them, press Play notes to hear the whole chord, or use your computer keyboard.
On this site's default keyboard layout, those notes are at G4 = R, A♯4 = 6, C♯5 = 8.
Chord inversions
In root position, play the tones from lowest to highest: G4 A♯4 C♯5.
First inversion: A♯4 C♯5 G5 — on the default layout at A♯4 = 6, C♯5 = 8, G5 = [.
Second inversion: C♯5 G5 A♯5 — on the default layout at C♯5 = 8, G5 = [, A♯5 = ⌫.
Related chords & scales
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the G Diminished chord?
The G Diminished chord is built from the notes G4, A♯4, C♯5. The root is G, and the other tones are root · minor 3rd · diminished 5th.
How do I play the G Diminished chord?
The chord tones are G4, A♯4, C♯5. On this site's default keyboard layout, press the highlighted keys shown above, or click Play notes to hear the full chord.
How is a piano chord built?
Most piano chords are built by stacking notes a third apart, starting from a root. A basic triad adds a third and a fifth above the root; stacking more thirds on top creates 7th chords and beyond. The exact quality of each interval — major, minor, diminished or augmented — is what gives each chord its colour.
What is the Diminished chord used for?
The Diminished chord has the distinct character described in the section above. In practice it appears wherever that mood is needed — as a resting place, a moment of tension, or a colourful passing chord — and it pairs naturally with the chords listed in the progressions and related sections on this page.