Diminished Triad

The Diminished Triad is a three-note chord composed of a root, minor third, and diminished fifth (a tritone from the root). Its sound is intrinsically 'tense', 'suspended', and 'unstable', often perceived as 'dark', 'mysterious', or even 'unnerving'. This strong dissonance makes it a highly functional chord, with a decided tendency to resolve. It is almost always used as a passing chord to create tension and movement towards a more stable chord. It is common in classical music, jazz (often as part of diminished seventh chords), and film scores, where it serves to create drama or suspense. For example, a C Diminished (Cdim) is composed of C, Eb, Gb.

Common Progressions

• vii° - I (the diminished triad on the seventh degree resolves to the tonic, typical of classical cadence)
• As a chromatic passing chord to create tension before a target chord, for example, on a passing note between two major or minor chords.