D♯dim7: D♯/E♭ Diminished 7th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	D♯, F♯, A, C	2-3-4-5
Left	D♯, F♯, A, C	5-4-3-2

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	D♯	Perfect unison	0
♭3	F♯	Minor third	3
♭5	A	Tritone	6
♭♭7	C	Major sixth	9

Construction

D♯ Diminished 7th = Root + Minor 3rd + Diminished 5th + Major 6th = D♯, F♯, A, C

Note	Interval	Degree
D♯	Root	1
F♯	Minor 3rd	♭3
A	Diminished 5th	♭5
C	Major 6th	6

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
D♯	black	index finger (2)	little finger (5)
F♯	black	middle finger (3)	ring finger (4)
A	white	ring finger (4)	middle finger (3)
C	white	little finger (5)	index finger (2)

Right hand: index finger (2) on D♯, middle finger (3) on F♯, ring finger (4) on A, little finger (5) on C.

Left hand: little finger (5) on D♯, ring finger (4) on F♯, middle finger (3) on A, index finger (2) on C.

D♯ Diminished 7th Inversions

Root position
D♯ – F♯ – A – C
1st inversion (D♯dim7/F♯)
F♯ – A – C – D♯
2nd inversion (D♯dim7/A)
A – C – D♯ – F♯
3rd inversion (D♯dim7/C)
C – D♯ – F♯ – A

Key Signature

A Diminished 7th chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of D♯ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of D♯ Major:

I — D♯ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	D♯ Major	Major
2	ii	E♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	F♯♯ Minor	Minor
4	IV	G♯ Major	Major
5	V	A♯ Major	Major
6	vi	B♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	C♯♯ Diminished	Diminished

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♯ – F♯ – A – C aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell the following:

A Diminished 7th→C Diminished 7th→F♯ Diminished 7th→

D♯ Diminished 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in D♯dim7?

D♯dim7 contains D♯, F♯, A and C. The formula is 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7.

How do you play D♯dim7 on piano?

Play D♯, F♯, A and C together. Right hand fingers 2, 3, 4, 5; left hand 5, 4, 3, 2. D♯ and F♯ are black keys; A and C are white.

What are the inversions of D♯dim7?

4 positions: root position D♯ F♯ A C, D♯dim7/F♯, D♯dim7/A, D♯dim7/C.

What is the difference between D♯dim7 and D♯dim?

Drops C. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy D♯dim7 for small hands?

The guide tones, ♭3 and ♭♭7 voicing, F♯3 C4, spans 6 semitones or about 83 mm.

What are the frequencies of D♯dim7?

From D♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 155.56, 185.00, 220.00, 261.63 Hz.

What is the set class of D♯dim7?

Prime form (0369), Forte 4-28, interval vector <004002>.

How do I transpose D♯dim7 to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7 formula on the new root. C♯dim7 is C♯, E, G, B♭; Ddim7 is D, F, A♭, C♭.

Is E♭dim7 the same as D♯dim7?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

D♯ Diminished 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	D♯3 F♯3 A3 C4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	F♯3 A3 C4 D♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	A3 C4 D♯4 F♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	C4 D♯4 F♯4 A4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	A2 D♯3 F♯3 C4	15	206 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	F♯2 D♯3 A3 C4	18	248 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	D♯2 A2 F♯3 C4	21	289 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root ♭♭7 ♭3	D♯2 C3 F♯3	15	206 mm	omits A	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and ♭♭7	F♯3 C4	6	83 mm	omits D♯ and A	subset
Rootless close	F♯3 A3 C4	6	83 mm	omits D♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	D♯	D♯3, F♯3, A3, C4	7	9	124 mm
First inversion: D♯dim7/F♯	F♯	F♯3, A3, C4, D♯4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: D♯dim7/A	A	A3, C4, D♯4, F♯4	4/3	9	124 mm
Third inversion: D♯dim7/C	C	C4, D♯4, F♯4, A4	4/2	9	124 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
D♯dim	drops C	1 ♭3 ♭5	3
D♯m7♭5	C becomes C♯	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	3
D♯m6	A becomes A♯	1 ♭3 5 6	3
D♯m	A, C becomes A♯	1 ♭3 5	2
D♯m7	A, C becomes A♯, C♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
D♯mMaj7	A, C becomes A♯, C×	1 ♭3 5 7	2
D♯6	F♯, A becomes F×, A♯	1 3 5 6	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
D♯3	51	155.56 Hz
F♯3	54	185.00 Hz
A3	57	220.00 Hz
C4	60	261.63 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {3, 6, 9, 0}
Normal order: [0, 3, 6, 9]
Prime form: (0369)
Forte number: 4-28
Interval vector: <004002>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
D♯ to F♯	Minor third	3	3
D♯ to A	Tritone	6	6
D♯ to C	Major sixth	9	3
F♯ to A	Minor third	3	3
F♯ to C	Tritone	6	6
A to C	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a diminished 7th applied to the root D♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

D♯ Diminished 7th

Fingerings

D♯ Diminished 7th: notes and degrees