How to Play G#dim on Piano

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

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

Notes in G#dim

NoteIntervalFinger
G#G#4Root1
BB4Minor 3rd3
DD5Diminished 5th5

How to Play

Right Hand

Place your thumb (finger 1) on G#. Use finger 3 on B and finger 5 on D.

Where it sits

One note of this chord (G#) is 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 G# Chords