C diminished

C°

Also written Co · C diminished · Cdim

NotesC · E♭ · G♭

Formula1 · ♭3 · ♭5

Root position

C° is the vii° of D♭ major — the leading-tone triad — and a dominant with its root taken away: A♭7 without its A♭. That is why it pulls so hard to D♭.

How pianists voice C°

The same notes, laid out the way hands actually play them.

Open triad Spread

1 · ♭5 · ♭3 — root and 5th below, the 3rd an octave up. The same three notes spread over two octaves: the sound of strings rather than a keyboard.

C° inversions

The same 3 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position C°

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5.

1st inversion C°/E♭

E♭ (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · ♭5 · 1.

2nd inversion C°/G♭

G♭ (the ♭5) in the bass: ♭5 · 1 · ♭3.

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C°