How to Play D#dim on Piano

The D# Diminished chord sounds tense and unsettled. It stacks 3 notes: D# – F# – A.

Two stacked minor thirds. Its fifth is squeezed a semitone flat, so the chord has no stable footing and wants to move.

Notes in D#dim

NoteIntervalFinger
D#D#4Root1
F#F#4Minor 3rd3
AA4Diminished 5th5

How to Play

Right Hand

Place your thumb (finger 1) on D#. Use finger 3 on F# and finger 5 on A.

Where it sits

2 notes of this chord (D#, F#) are on black keys, so play it a little further back on the keys than an all-white shape.

Press all 3 keys at the same time. Keep your wrist relaxed and your fingers curved. The blue dots on the piano below show exactly which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Other Diminished Chords

Other D# Chords