A diminished seventh
How to play Adim7 — Diminished seventh
Adim7 (Diminished seventh)A · C · E♭ · G♭
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
A diminished seventh — notes and structure
The Adim7 chord is a symmetrical stack of minor thirds — maximally tense, it can resolve in four directions and is a favourite passing chord.
The Adim7 diminished seventh consists of the notes A, C, E♭, G♭. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Adim7 stacks a minor third (C), a diminished fifth (E♭) and a diminished seventh (G♭) above the root A.
To play Adim7, press the keys A, C, E♭, G♭ together — the root A is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the A diminished seventh chord on piano?
- The Adim7 chord is made of the notes A, C, E♭, G♭. It is a symmetrical stack of minor thirds — maximally tense, it can resolve in four directions and is a favourite passing chord.
- How do you play A diminished seventh on the piano?
- Press A, C, E♭, G♭ at the same time, with the root A as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the diminished seventh chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–3–5–7 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.