Diminished Chords

Gé Bijvoet

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Diminished Chord & Scale 1 Diminished Chord & Scale 2 Diminished Chord & Scale 3

Cº E¨º F©º Aº C©º Eº Gº B¨º Dº Fº A¨º Bº

4 œ œ œ bœ nœ nœ #œ
&4
œ œ b œ œ b œ #œ
# œ #œ nœ #œ nœ œ nœ œ bœ bœ nœ
4 ∫œ b ∫œœ bœœœ bbœœœœ b œ b bœœœ b∫bbœœœœ bœ
bb∫nœœœœ ∫b∫bœœœœ bnnœœœ
& 4 bb œœœ b bœœ #œ b œ b œ
nn# œœœ nnœœ nœb bnbnœœœœ

The diminished scale consists of 8 notes we call it Octatonic (8 Greek) or Octotonic (8 Italian)

Diminished (Dim) chords a row of minor thirds 1 b3 b5 bb7

The Scale 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2

The dim scale consist of 2 dim chords Co and as a sort op upper struckture Do

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Dº Fº A¨º Bº
4 Cº E¨º F©º Aº

& nœ œ bœ bœ nœ œ
œ bœ
∫b∫bœœœœ nn#bœœœœ bbœœœœ
& bb∫n œœœœ

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To enrich the chord we can play every single note a major second higher

Lift A to B Lift two notes Gb and A to Ab and B

5

& bb˙˙˙˙ ˙˙ b˙˙˙

˙˙ bb˙˙˙˙ ˙
& ∑ ∑ ?

Gé Bijvoet © pianotunes.eu
 We can place the 2e dim chord a whole note higher But beter to spread/mix the ingrediens,
2 as an uperstucture on top, we play the complete The next step is transposing the chords minor

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scale in two hands now, the max dim chord thirds. All chords are Co all the chords are Ebo,
Gbo and Ao

7 Cº
nœ b œœ
& bbww
w
w
œ
bn#œœœ bœœœœ n#œœœ nnœœ
œœ n œœ bbnœœœ
? bb∫w
w
w
w #nœœœ bœ œ

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bœ bnœœœœ
D¨º

∫bœœœœ bnœœœ
9

& bbw ww
w b
bœ
œœœ
bbnœœœ b œœœ
? bbwbw
w œ bbbœœœ
w bœœ

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Dº
nœ b œœ
bœœœœ n#œœœ
11

& bbnww
w
w ##nœœœœ nnœœ
n œœ b œœ
œœ
? bbnnw
w ##œœ œ nœ
w
w œ œ

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We see diminished chords replacing dominant 7 chords with a b9

A7(b9)/C©

Œ nœœœœ Œ nœœœœ Œ nœœœœ Œ nœœœœ

C C©º D‹7 G7 C A7(b9) D‹ G7
œ Œ b#œœœœ œœ Œ b#œœœœ
13

& Œ nnœœ Œ œ
? n˙ #˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
˙ ˙ ˙

We can use the same diminished scale within b9 chords.

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B9 makes a chord more minor and use in V7(b9) to Im7 so V in minor
From the root to b9 (a half step) 1/2 1 1/2 1

bœ ™ ‰ œj bœœ nœœ œœ ™™ bbœœ bœœ bb˙˙ ™™

& ‰ bœœj nœœ bœœ œ ™
j
bœœ bœœ b˙˙ ™™
17 C7(b9) F‹7 B¨7(b9) E¨‹7

J œ
? bw
w
w
bw
w ∑ ∑
w
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Bye Bye Blackbird 3

œœ nœœœ œ
21

& nnœœœ œ œ œ bœ œ ˙˙˙ œœ œ ˙˙ œœ œ ˙˙ ˙˙ #

œœ # œœ œ
n n œœ ˙˙ œ ˙
b œœ ˙˙ œ b ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙
œœ b œœœ
? w w ˙ ˙˙ w ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙˙
w w ˙ w ˙ bœ ˙

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œœ nœœœ œ
Just Friends

‰ œj œ œ
27

‰ œj œ œ #
#˙ ™
& ˙˙˙ œ
n ˙˙
œœ # œœ œ
˙ œ œ œ
œ œœ
? bww
bw
bw w ˙ œ œ b
nw b˙ œ

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31

& œ nœ bœ #œ
bbnœœœ ## œœœ nn œœœ
There is a similarity between

? #nœœœ
dim, b9 and #9 chords, the scale
and voicings of the left hand.
A7 = C7 = Eb7 = Gb7

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Because there is some consistency in the moving minor 3 you can experiment with
melodies shifting minor thirds with and without the chord.
Check the George Cables recording 'Old Wine New Bottles' for a lot of examples

œ bœ bœ bœ œ œ bœ nœ
32

& #œ œ œ œ #œ œ nœ bœ
˙˙
? #n˙˙˙ bbn˙˙˙ ## ˙˙˙ n
b˙

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