21.4: Hearing Diminished Chords
- Page ID
- 258606
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Even though there are a few different ways we might encounter a diminished chord, our most common is as a dominant function. How do we tell the difference? Consider our options in a major key:
| Name of Chord | Dominant Triad | Dominant Seventh | Diminished Triad | Half-Diminished Seventh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Numeral |
V |
V7 |
vii° |
vii |
| Chord quality | Major triad | Major triad, minor seventh | Diminished triad | Diminished triad, minor seventh |
| Scale Degrees | sol-ti-re | sol-ti-re-fa | ti-re-fa | ti-re-fa-la |
| Distinct Characteristics | Contains sol. Shares a tone with the tonic chord. Bright, major sound. | Contains sol. Shares a tone with the tonic chord. Also includes the dissonance of the additional fa. | Does not share any tones with the tonic chord. More dissonant than major. Has a surprising sound. | Does not share any tones with the tonic chord. Increased dissonance due to the addition of la. |
7Diminished seventh chords are most often used in the first inversion and will have re in the bass.