Chord Colors

D diminished chord

Inversions

3fr 5fr 8fr

(root position)

Notes and intervals

1 D Root
2 F Minor 3rd
3 A flat Diminished 5th

Keys that use D diminished

D diminished is diatonic to these keys, where it acts as the chord shown.

i°D Locrian ii°C Natural Minor iii°B flat Mixolydian iv°A flat Lydian v°G Phrygian vi°F Dorian vii°E flat Major

About the D diminished chord

The D diminished chord is a D diminished built from D, F, A flat. You will most often meet it as the i° chord in D Locrian. Tap the keys or frets above to hear each note, or press Play chord to hear them together.

Other D chords

Simpler triads

D D minor D augmented

Suspended

D suspended two D suspended four D seven suspended four

Sixths and sevenths

D six D minor six D seven D major seven D minor seven D minor seven flat five D diminished seven D minor major seven

Extensions

D nine D add nine D major nine D minor nine D eleven D thirteen D six over nine D minor add nine

Altered

D seven sharp five

Functional relationships

These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.

Relative major F

The relative major uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a brighter home base.

Parallel major D

The parallel major keeps the same root note but raises the third, giving the same key a brighter, happier sound.

Dominant A

The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.

Subdominant G minor

The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.

Tritone substitution E flat seven

The tritone substitution stands in for this chord's dominant with a dominant seventh a half step above the root, which slides down by a half step to resolve here.

What do the colors mean?

Every note has its own fixed color, laid out around the circle of fifths. Once you know the colors, chords and scales turn into patterns you can recognize at a glance.

There is so much more to explore

Play any chord or scale, transpose it, and watch it move around the color wheel in the free Chord Colors app.

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