The B diminished chord (B dim or B°) contains the notes B, D and F. It is produced by taking the 1st, flat 3rd and flat 5th notes of the B Major scale.
A diminished often appears as B dim or B°.
The diminished chord played by itself has a dissonant sound. This is largely due to the existence of the tritone interval, which is otherwise known as the devil’s interval. The B diminished chord contains a tritone between the notes B and F.
Even though the B diminished chord sounds dissonant on its own, it can sound beautiful when played in the right context. Pairing the B diminished chord with the C Major chord, for example, creates a sense of tension and release, which works well. A good exercise is to switch between the B diminished chord and the C Major chord and hear for yourself how this sounds
10 Ways To Play The B Diminished Chord
If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for B diminished, here they are.
Some Quick B Diminished Chord Theory
- The B diminished chord contains the notes B, D and F.
- The B diminished chord is produced by taking the 1 (root), b3 and b5 of the B Major scale.
- The B diminished chord (just like all diminished chords) contains the following intervals (starting from the root note): minor 3rd, minor 3rd, tritone (which leads back to the root note).
- A diminished resolves naturally to the C chord.
- A diminished can be written as B dim or B°.
- The B locrian scale can be used when soloing over the B diminished chord.
Further Reading
