There are seven chords in the major key, with one of them being the most “unused” chord of all time.

I am talking about the Diminished and Diminished 7th chord.

To be honest with you guys, I am not a massive fan of this chord! When played alone, the Diminished chord sounds tense, dark, and unresolved. However, if we think of it as a passing/bridge chord, it opens up a lot of new and exciting possibilities.

Now, what’s a diminished chord? Or even better, what’s a chord?
A chord is a combination of three notes — the root, third, and fifth.

When the third is major, and the fifth is perfect, the chord is major. This chord sounds happy and positive.
When the third is minor, and the fifth is perfect, the chord is minor. This chord sounds sad and melancholic.
When the third is minor, and the fifth is diminished, the chord is diminished.

Now, the big brother of the diminished chord is the Diminished 7th chord, which is played with the three notes of the diminished triad plus the diminished 7th. The diminished 7th adds even more tension to the chord.

In this video, I am going to show you how to play a chord progression with a bunch of Diminished chords so that you can get inspired and start using this chord a little bit more.

Enjoy this lesson.