Fdim7 chord on piano
Fdim7 is F, A♭, C♭ and E𝄫. F is the white key just left of the group of three black keys. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · F–A♭–C♭–E𝄫 · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- F · A♭ · C♭ · E𝄫
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
How to play Fdim7 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from F: 3 half steps up to A♭, 3 half steps up to C♭ then 3 half steps up to E𝄫. Those 4 keys are Fdim7.
- Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A♭, 3 on C♭ and 5 on E𝄫.
- Left hand: 5 on F, 3 on A♭, 2 on C♭ and 1 on E𝄫.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, white and white keys.
Fdim7 inversions
- root position: F–A♭–C♭–E𝄫. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A♭–C♭–E𝄫–F, A♭ lowest. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: C♭–E𝄫–F–A♭, with C♭ at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: E𝄫–F–A♭–C♭ (E𝄫 in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let Fdim7 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Moving between Fdim7 and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold Fdim7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- F♯ (leads up a half step): Fdim7 to F♯: play F♯ in root position (F♯–A♯–C♯), while F moves up to F♯, C♭ down to A♯ and E𝄫 down to C♯. F♯ on piano
- F♯m (leads up a half step): Fdim7 to F♯m: play F♯m in root position (F♯–A–C♯), while F moves up to F♯, A♭ up to A and E𝄫 down to C♯. F♯m on piano
- B♭ (a fifth down): Fdim7 to B♭: play B♭ in 2nd inversion (F–B♭–D) and F and D stay under the same fingers, while C♭ moves down to B♭. B♭ on piano
Fdim7 is a diminished seventh: three minor thirds stacked, so the chord divides the octave into four equal parts. Fdim7 can stand in for a dominant seventh a half step below, which is why it links chords so smoothly. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
Practice Fdim7 in two minutes
Play Fdim7 broken, one key at a time: F, A♭, C♭, E𝄫, C♭, A♭, F. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Finish with the inversions in order: F–A♭–C♭–E𝄫; A♭–C♭–E𝄫–F; C♭–E𝄫–F–A♭; E𝄫–F–A♭–C♭.
The keys of Fdim7
Fdim7 is a diminished seventh chord, 1–♭3–♭5–♭♭7 from F. Root position, from the bottom: how Fdim7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A♭ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| C♭ | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | diminished fifth |
| E𝄫 | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | diminished seventh |
Where Fdim7 shows up
Fdim7 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Fdim7 on guitar and Fdim7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Next to try on piano
Other diminished seventh chords
Fdim7 on piano: questions
What notes are in Fdim7 on piano?
F, A♭, C♭ and E𝄫: F (white key), A♭ (black key), C♭ (white key) and E𝄫 (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Fdim7 on piano?
Press F, A♭, C♭ and E𝄫 together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A♭, 3 on C♭ and 5 on E𝄫.
What are the inversions of Fdim7?
1st inversion (A♭–C♭–E𝄫–F), 2nd inversion (C♭–E𝄫–F–A♭) and 3rd inversion (E𝄫–F–A♭–C♭), after root position (F–A♭–C♭–E𝄫). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does Fdim7 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, white and white keys.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes F, A♭, C♭ and E𝄫 and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.