Diminished triad

Infobox Chord| chord_name=diminished triad
first_interval=root
second_interval=minor third
third_interval=diminished fifth
More specifically, it is a triad (a diminished triad (Audio|Diminished triad on B.mid|Play)) consisting of a minor third and diminished fifth above the root — if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an Emusic|b and a Gmusic|b. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered (or "diminished") fifth.

In the common practice period, the diminished chord is considered dissonant, or unstable. It lacks tonal center or drive because the diminished fifth symmetrically divides the octave.

A diminished chord occurs in a major scale only on the seventh scale degree; in the key of C, this is BDF. This also occurs in the seventh chord built on the fifth note (that is, the "dominant seventh"); in C, this is GBDF.

In a twelve-tone equal tempered tuning, a diminished chord has 3 semitones between the third and fifth, 3 between the root and third, and 6 between the root and fifth. It is represented by the integer notation 0, 3, 6.