Piano chord
C♯ diminished 7 chord
C♯dim7 is a diminished seventh chord: the root C♯, a minor 3rd up to E, a diminished 5th up to G and a diminished 7th up to B♭.
- Symbol
- C♯dim7
- Notes
- C♯ – E – G – B♭
Play it yourself
Tap C♯, E, G and B♭ on the keys below, in any order.
- C♯
- E
- G
- B♭
Diminished seventh chords stack three minor thirds. Every note is the same distance apart, which makes them very tense and a favourite for dramatic moments.
Inversions of C♯dim7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
C♯ – E – G – B♭
- 1st inversion · C♯dim7/E
E – G – B♭ – C♯
- 2nd inversion · C♯dim7/G
G – B♭ – C♯ – E
- 3rd inversion · C♯dim7/B♭
B♭ – C♯ – E – G
Keys with C♯dim7
C♯dim7 doesn't occur naturally in a major or natural minor key. It's used as a colour chord, borrowed or altered.