In previous lessons we learned how to play a diminished chord. What defines a diminished, is a minor chord with a flatted fifth. Diminished chords are probably my favorite kind to play because they all carry a special link. The way they are set up creates these diminished bands. When you add a 7th to a diminished chord, you get four equidistant notes. If you play any three of the four notes, you will get a diminished chord of the same caliber. There are only four combinations, so there’s four chords to a band. There are twelve musical tones, so with a little math, we get three bands of four chords in total.

3 Diminished Chord Theory Bands

Band 1:

C#° – E° – G° – A#°

Band 2:

D° – F° – G#° – B°

Band 3:

D#° – F#° – A° – C°

 

 

 

What does this mean?
 
Whenever you play a diminished chord, you can play every other chord or note within its band. Since all four chords within a band share the exact same notes, you can invert them in any way you want. This allows you to play a chord that has a slightly different feel while still remaining within the same key.
 
For example, if you are in the key of D minor, E diminished is in the scale. Instead of playing the E diminished, you can play G diminished or any other chord within it’s band to achieve a slightly different tone.
 

Switching bands creates a sinister feel and can be used to change keys dramatically. Play this sound clip below for an example.

 

 

Next time you’re writing or playing a song, try using one of the bands to shift the sound. If you have any interesting diminished chord theory to add to this article, Id’ love to hear about it. Tell me your experiences in the comments below.