Ways to play Bdim
Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.
What's in Bdim
A diminished triad stacks two minor 3rds: root, minor 3rd and flat 5th. Bdim is B, D, F. The root and ♭5 are a tritone apart, the same interval that drives a dominant 7th.
| Note | Formula | Interval from B |
|---|---|---|
| B | 1 | Root |
| D | ♭3 | Minor 3rd |
| F | ♭5 | Diminished 5th |
Tight and unsettled, and it rarely stays put. It is the vii° chord of a major key, and as a passing chord it bridges two chords a whole step apart.
Keys that use Bdim
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of B, D and F, and the chord's Roman numeral in each. Minor keys marked harmonic get the chord from the raised 7th of the harmonic minor scale.
| Key | Bdim is the |
|---|---|
| A minor | ii° |
| C major | vii° |
| C minor (harmonic) | vii° |
Progressions to try
Related chords
Other chords on B: