What D♯dim is built from
Counting up in semitones from D♯:
| Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| D♯ | root | 0 |
| F♯ | minor third | 3 |
| A | diminished fifth | 6 |
Move all three of those the same distance and you get the same chord on another root — that is what the diminished triad formula 0 – 3 – 6 means.
How to play D♯dim
Leave the low E and top E strings out. The shape runs from fret 6 to fret 8.
All four strings are played. The A string rings open. Nothing is higher than fret 3, so it sits in first position.
Play D♯, F♯ and A together. That is one white key and two black.
Numbers in the grids are frets. Where a number is printed beside a grid, that is the fret the top row stands for; otherwise the thick bar at the top is the nut. A circle above a string means play it open, a cross means leave it out.
Guitar, string by string
| Guitar string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| low E | not played | — |
| A | fret 6 | D♯ |
| D | fret 7 | A |
| G | fret 8 | D♯ |
| B | fret 7 | F♯ |
| top E | not played | — |
Ukulele, string by string
| Ukulele string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| G | fret 2 | A |
| C | fret 3 | D♯ |
| E | fret 2 | F♯ |
| A | open | A |
D♯dim on the stave
The same three notes written on a treble stave, spelled the way a diminished triad is spelled — one letter for every other step, with whichever accidental reaches the pitch. That is why it reads D♯, F♯ and A, and not the same sounds written some other way.
Which keys D♯dim belongs to
| Key | Relative minor | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E major | C♯ minor | vii° |
Each row is a key whose scale contains every note of D♯dim. A major key and its relative minor use the same seven notes, so the chord belongs to both.
Chords that sit next to D♯dim
The seven triads built on the scale of E major. These are the chords D♯dim is most often played alongside, because they are made from the same seven notes. The small numeral is the degree each one stands on.
Other chords on D♯
Same root, different notes above it.
Chords straight off a recording
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