Bbdim Piano Chord

B flat diminished is the Bbdim piano chord. It has three notes: B flat, D flat and E. It is a B flat minor chord with the fifth lowered by one key.

1B♭3D♭5EC3C4

B♭ at the bottom, then D♭ and E. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are B♭ and D♭.

How to play Bbdim on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the B♭ below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): B♭
  3. Middle finger (3): D♭
  4. Little finger (5): E
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just B♭ on its own as a bass note.

The top note is written E here rather than F flat, because E is the key you play and the name every chart uses.

Inversions of Bbdim

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Bbdim; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionD♭ E B♭
Bbdim piano chord diagram, first inversion, D♭ E B♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A flat third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionE B♭ D♭
Bbdim piano chord diagram, second inversion, E B♭ D♭
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The top note is F
That gives B flat minor. B flat diminished needs the key below it, which is E.
The thumb slips off
It sits on a black key, so the hand has to be further into the keyboard than usual.
The chord sounds harsh
It is meant to be unsettled. Resolve it upward to B major, or back into B flat minor.

What makes it a Bbdim

B♭ · D♭ · E 1 ♭3 ♭5

B flat diminished is B flat, D flat and E: the root, the flat third and the flat fifth. Strictly the top note is F flat, which is the key called E.

It is the leading tone chord of B, and a passing chord in flat keys. Both intervals are minor thirds, which makes the hand shape symmetrical.

Bbdim vs Bbm

The top note. B flat minor has F; B flat diminished lowers it to E.

The lower two notes stay on their black keys in both chords, so only one finger moves.

Questions about Bbdim

Which notes are in a Bbdim chord on piano?

B flat, D flat and E. It is a minor chord with the fifth lowered by one key.

What is the difference between Bbdim and B flat minor?

The top note. B flat minor has a normal fifth; Bbdim lowers it by one key to E. That single change turns a sad chord into a tense one.

How does a diminished chord resolve?

Usually up by one key. Bbdim leans toward B major, and playing the two in a row is the quickest way to hear why: every note of the diminished chord is a half step or a whole step from where it wants to go.

Is Bbdim hard to play?

No. It is three notes with an even shape, since a diminished triad is two minor thirds stacked. The intervals are the same size, which makes the hand position symmetrical and easy to remember.

Chords to learn next

Other Bb chords