As the leading-tone chordC major
- vii°B°
- IC
Every note pulls inward into C by a semitone or a tone. This is the chord's primary function.
B Diminished Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B Diminished chord is built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D and F.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Diminished chords sound unstable and suspenseful. Two stacked minor thirds create a tight, dissonant tension that composers use for passing chords, horror scores and dramatic turnarounds.
- Notes
- B · D · F
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 6
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Diminished
- Symbol
- B°
B Diminished on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B Diminished on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, middle finger on D and little finger on F. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of B Diminished is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- D♭3
- F♭5
B Diminished on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B Diminished is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play strings 2 and 1.
B · D · F
Try B Diminished on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B Diminished chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | D | |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | F |
How to use the B Diminished chord
The B Diminished chord is built from a root, a minor third and a diminished fifth. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D and F. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Diminished chords are passing tools in classical, jazz, bluegrass and film music. They're often used as vii° leading to the tonic or as chromatic passing chords between diatonic chords.
In major keys B° is the vii° in C major; in minor keys it's the ii° in A minor.
How B Diminished differs from similar chords
B° is Bm with the fifth lowered by a half step, and that flat fifth is the whole difference. Add a minor seventh and you get Bm7♭5, add a diminished seventh and you get the fully symmetrical B°7. On its own it is the leading-tone chord (vii°) of the major key a half step up.
Songs that use the B Diminished chord
These well-known tracks all play the B Diminished chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.
- 1In My LifeThe Beatles
- 2MichelleThe Beatles
- 3YesterdayThe Beatles
- 4Georgia on My MindRay Charles
- 5As Time Goes ByDooley Wilson
Where B Diminished is used
A diminished chord is a tension chord. It works as the leading-tone chord of a key, and as a dominant seventh with its root left out.
Scales that contain B°
These scales include B° as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C Major
C · D · E · F · G · A · B
C Harmonic Minor
C · D · E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B
C Melodic Minor
C · D · E♭ · F · G · A · B
C Harmonic Major
C · D · E · F · G · A♭ · B
C♯ Altered
C♯ · D · E · F · G · A · B
D Melodic Minor
D · E · F · G · A · B · C♯
D Dorian
D · E · F · G · A · B · C
D Neapolitan Major
D · E♭ · F · G · A · B · C♯
E♭ Lydian Augmented
E♭ · F · G · A · B · C · D
E Phrygian
E · F · G · A · B · C · D
E Phrygian Dominant
E · F · G♯ · A · B · C · D
F Lydian
F · G · A · B · C · D · E
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B Diminished chord?
- The B Diminished chord contains B, D and F.
- Is the B Diminished chord major or minor?
- B Diminished is a diminished chord. Diminished chords sound unstable and suspenseful. Two stacked minor thirds create a tight, dissonant tension that composers use for passing chords, horror scores and dramatic turnarounds.
- What key is the B Diminished chord in?
- In major keys B° is the vii° in C major; in minor keys it's the ii° in A minor.
- How do you play B Diminished on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, D and F and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of B Diminished is a white key.
- How do you play B Diminished on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play strings 2 and 1.
- What chords work well with B Diminished?
- B Diminished pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.