Fdim Piano Chord

F diminished is the Fdim piano chord. It has three notes: F, A flat and B. It is an F minor chord with the fifth lowered by one key.

Fdim piano chord diagram, root position, F A♭ B

F at the bottom, then A♭ and B. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black key is A♭.

How to play Fdim on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the F above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): F
  3. Middle finger (3): A♭
  4. Little finger (5): B
  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 F on its own as a bass note.

The top note is written B here rather than C flat, because that is the key you actually play and the name every chord chart uses.

Inversions of Fdim

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

First inversionA♭ B F
Fdim piano chord diagram, first inversion, A♭ B F
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 inversionB F A♭
Fdim piano chord diagram, second inversion, B F A♭
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 C
That gives F minor. F diminished needs the key below it, which is B.
The middle finger keeps slipping
A flat is a black key between two white ones. Move the hand further into the keyboard so the finger reaches it cleanly.
The chord sounds unfinished
It is. F diminished leans upward to G flat, or resolves back into F minor.

What makes it an Fdim

F · A♭ · B 1 ♭3 ♭5

F diminished is F, A flat and B: the root, the flat third and the flat fifth. Written strictly the top note is C flat, which is the key called B, and that is how charts print it.

It works as the leading tone chord of G flat and as a passing chord in flat keys. Like every diminished triad it is two minor thirds stacked, so the hand shape is symmetrical.

Fdim vs Fm

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

Both keep the A flat in the middle, so only one finger moves between the two chords.

Fdim in major keys

Every note of Fdim sits inside these keys. See how it works alongside the other chords in each one.

Questions about Fdim

Which notes are in a Fdim chord on piano?

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

What is the difference between Fdim and F minor?

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

How does a diminished chord resolve?

Usually up by one key. Fdim leans toward G flat 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 Fdim 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 F chords