Chord Colors

D sharp diminished chord
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About the D sharp diminished chord

D sharp diminished is used in D sharp Locrian, where its notes spell the i° chord. Think of it as a D♯ diminished chord.

Its notes are D♯, F♯, and A. The intervals are a minor third and a diminished fifth.

Also called diminished triad. E flat diminished spells the same notes enharmonically. In shorthand it is commonly written D#dim.

Learn more about the D♯dim chord

Inversions

Position 1 of 3

D sharp diminished (root position)

Notes and intervals

1D#D♯Root
2F#F♯Minor 3rd
3AADiminished 5th

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Keys that use D sharp diminished

D sharp diminished is diatonic to these keys, where its notes spell the chord shown.

i°D sharp Locrian scalei°D sharp Dorian ♭5 scalei°D sharp Locrian ♯2 scalei°D sharp Locrian ♯6 scalei°D sharp Ultra Locrian scalei°D sharp Altered scaleii°C sharp Natural Minor scaleii°C sharp Harmonic Minor scaleii°C sharp Harmonic Major scaleii°C sharp Aeolian Dominant scaleii°C Lydian ♯2 scaleii°C sharp Locrian ♯2 scale

Other D sharp chords

Simpler triads

D sharp five chordD sharp major chordD sharp minor chordD sharp augmented chord

Suspended

D sharp suspended two chordD sharp suspended four chordD sharp seven suspended four chordD sharp nine suspended four chordD sharp thirteen suspended four chord

Sixths and sevenths

D sharp six chordD sharp minor six chordD sharp minor flat six chordD sharp seven chordD sharp major seven chordD sharp minor seven chordD sharp minor seven flat five chordD sharp diminished seven chordD sharp minor major seven chordD sharp major seven flat five chordD sharp major seven sharp five chordD sharp minor major seven flat five chord

Extensions

D sharp nine chordD sharp add nine chordD sharp major nine chordD sharp minor nine chordD sharp eleven chordD sharp thirteen chordD sharp six nine chordD sharp minor add nine chordD sharp major eleven chordD sharp major thirteen chordD sharp minor eleven chordD sharp minor thirteen chordD sharp minor six nine chordD sharp minor major nine chordD sharp minor major eleven chord

Altered

D sharp seven sharp five chordD sharp seven flat five chordD sharp seven flat nine chordD sharp seven sharp nine chordD sharp nine flat five chordD sharp nine sharp eleven chordD sharp nine sharp five chord

Functional relationships

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

Relative major

F sharp major chord Learn more about Relative major

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

Parallel major

D sharp major chord Learn more about Parallel major

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

Dominant

A sharp major chord Learn more about Dominant

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

Subdominant

G sharp minor chord Learn more about Subdominant

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 seven chord Learn more about Tritone substitution

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.

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D♯dim chord on piano shown as colored note dots
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