What notes are in the F#dim chord?

F#dim is made of F#, A and C — the 1, b3 and b5 degrees of a diminished chord built on F#.

What keys use the F#dim chord?

Every note of F#dim belongs to 2 keys: G Major (vii°), E Minor (ii°). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.

How do you play F#dim on guitar and piano?

This page shows F#dim on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 9 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Is F#dim the same as Gbdim?

Yes. F#dim and Gbdim are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; F#dim is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Chord · F# Diminished

F♯dim Chord

F♯dim is F#, A and C — tense, unstable; resolves outward.

Hear it

F♯dim on every instrument

The same 3 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

What F♯dim is made of

F# Diminished (F# diminished) is built from the notes F#, A, C, with the interval pattern 1, b3, b5. A common diminished chord across many styles.

Stack 1, b3 and b5 on a root of F♯ and you get F#, A and C. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a diminished chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cdim sounds like a transposed F♯dim.

Diminished: Tense, unstable; resolves outward.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with F♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain F♯dim

All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Major keys

G MajorF♯dim is the vii°

Minor keys

E MinorF♯dim is the ii°

Other chords on F♯

Same root, different colour.

F♯F# Major F♯mF# Minor F♯augF# Augmented F♯sus2F# Suspended 2nd F♯sus4F# Suspended 4th F♯5F# Power Chord F♯6F# Major 6th F♯m6F# Minor 6th

The same diminished shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

CdimC Diminished DdimD Diminished EdimE Diminished FdimF Diminished GdimG Diminished AdimA Diminished BdimB Diminished C♯dimC# Diminished

Questions people ask about F#dim

What notes are in the F#dim chord?: F#dim is made of F#, A and C — the 1, b3 and b5 degrees of a diminished chord built on F#.
What keys use the F#dim chord?: Every note of F#dim belongs to 2 keys: G Major (vii°), E Minor (ii°). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play F#dim on guitar and piano?: This page shows F#dim on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 9 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is F#dim the same as Gbdim?: Yes. F#dim and Gbdim are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; F#dim is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why F♯dim behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Barre Chords — The Wall Every Guitarist ClimbsThis one asks for a barre. The article is the fix for the buzzing and the aching hand.7 min read Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineDiminished chords are almost always doing a job. This explains which one.6 min read Cadences — The Four Ways a Phrase EndsWhere all that tension goes — how the chord resolves into the next one.4 min read