In practical terms: we alter the fifth of a chord—flatten it for diminished, raise it for augmented—and suddenly ordinary progressions gain drama, direction, and new pathways between keys.
How they sound to your ear:
- Diminished chords feel unstable and suspenseful—think spooky or mysterious. They naturally want to resolve to a nearby major or minor chord.
- Augmented chords feel bright, floaty, and slightly surreal—like a lift before landing. They’re great for creating forward motion or surprise.
Where you’ll hear them: everywhere—pop/rock (The Beatles, Queen), jazz turnarounds, blues intros, film scores, and classical cadences. Guitarists love them for passing moves between chords, turnarounds at phrase endings, and key changes (modulations). Even better, the shapes are symmetrical: diminished‑seventh shapes repeat every three frets; augmented triads repeat every four. That symmetry makes them easy to move and memorize on the fretboard.
Why learn them now: a couple of compact shapes will let you spice up progressions you already know, smooth your bass lines, and write more interesting intros, bridges, and outros—with minimal extra theory.
What Are Diminished Chords?
A diminished triad consists of a root, a minor third, and a diminished fifth (also called a flatted fifth). Intervallically, that’s 1 – ♭3 – ♭5.
- Notation:
Dim(e.g. Edim) or the degree symbol°(e.g. E°). - Sound: Tense, unresolved, unstable—yearns to resolve to a more stable chord.
How to Build a Diminished Chord:
- Start with any major scale (e.g., G major: G A B C D E F#).
- Take the 7th scale degree (F#), the 2nd (A), and the 4th (C) to build F° (F#° = F#–A–C).
- Alternatively, build directly: root, move up three semitones for the minor third, then another three semitones for the diminished fifth.
Guitar Shape Example (Bdim):
e|---1---| (middle finger on 1st fret, high E string: F)
B|---3---| (pinky on 3rd fret, B string: D)
G|---2---| (ring finger on 2nd fret, G string: A)
D|---3---| (index finger on 3rd fret, D string: B)
A|---X---|
E|---X---|(Notes: B–D–F)
What Are Augmented Chords?
An augmented triad consists of a root, a major third, and an augmented fifth (raised fifth). Intervallically, 1 – 3 – ♯5.
- Notation:
+(e.g. C+),aug(e.g. Caug). - Sound: Bright, otherworldly, floating—often used to pivot between chords.
How to Build an Augmented Chord:
- Take a major triad (e.g., C–E–G).
- Raise the fifth by one semitone: G → G♯.
- You get C–E–G♯.
Guitar Shape Example (C+):
e|---0---| (open E string)
B|---1---| (index on 1st fret, B string: C)
G|---1---| (middle on 1st fret, G string: G#)
D|---2---| (ring on 2nd fret, D string: E)
A|---3---| (pinky on 3rd fret, A string: C)
E|---X---|(Notes: C–E–G♯)
When and Why to Use These Chords
Diminished and augmented chords can sound exotic, but they’re simply tools to add color, tension, and smooth connections between your regular chords. Here are the key ideas in everyday language:
Diminished Chords
- Passing Chords (Passing Tones): Imagine walking between two stones across a stream. Instead of jumping far from one rock (chord) to the next, a passing chord is the small rock you step on in between. It makes the move feel natural.
- Leading-Tone Function: In any scale, the seventh note (leading tone) wants to go back to the first note (home). A diminished chord built on that seventh note “pulls” strongly toward the tonic chord, like a magnet drawing metal.
- Substitute for vii°7: Sometimes you’ll see a full four-note diminished seventh chord (vii°7) before the home chord. You can often replace it with a simpler three-note diminished triad and still get the same push toward resolution.
Augmented Chords
- Chromatic Pivot: Augmented chords include a note that’s not in the current key (a chromatic note). This “extra” note acts like a secret door, smoothly leading your ear into a new chord or even a new key.
- Dominant Alteration: The “dominant” chord (built on the 5th scale degree) usually leads back to home. If you raise its fifth (making it augmented), you turn up the tension. The stronger feeling of suspense makes the return to the tonic even more satisfying.
Common Uses
- Smooth Passing between Chords: Slip a diminished chord between two standard chords (e.g., C → C#dim → Dm) to add a little step between them.
- Turnarounds: At the end of a phrase, an augmented chord (like Eaug returning to Am) can signal “we’re heading back to the start” with extra flair.
- Key Changes (Modulation): Want to switch keys? An augmented chord shares notes with both keys and—when you rename one of its notes (enharmonic change)—it becomes the bridge that takes you into the new key without a jarring jump.
These concepts may sound technical at first, but thinking of them as simple stepping stones, magnets, or secret doors can make them easy and fun to use in your playing.
Examples from Popular Songs
Diminished Chords:
- “Michelle” by The Beatles (vii° passing chord in verses)
- “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen (Edim between E and Am)
- “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey (vii° in intro)
Augmented Chords:
- “Oh! Darling” by The Beatles (A+ before resolving to D)
- “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty (C+ in chord melody)
- “All I Have to Do Is Dream” by The Everly Brothers (augmented I to II)
Conclusion
Diminished and augmented chords are compact tools that create motion and color. Use diminished shapes as stepping stones and “magnets” that resolve, and lean on augmented shapes for bright lift and chromatic pivots. Because both families are symmetrical (dim7 repeats every 3 frets, aug repeats every 4), you can memorize just a few shapes and move them anywhere on the neck. Start by inserting a single passing diminished chord between two diatonic chords, then experiment with an augmented V (e.g., E+ → Am) to feel the extra pull back home. Over time, you’ll hear the tension–release cycle and place these chords confidently in your songs, intros, and turnarounds.
Quick practice plan
- Learn one movable dim7 and one aug shape; slide them through their symmetry cycles.
- Try C → C#° → Dm, then E+ → Am; listen for how the bass moves.
- Record a simple loop (I–vi–IV–V) and add passing dim/aug chords on beats 2 or 4.
- Train your ear: pause on a dim/aug chord and guess the most satisfying resolution.
Level Up with the Fretello App
Make these sounds second nature with guided, bite‑sized sessions:
- Interactive chord diagrams & fretboard maps for dim7/aug shapes across the neck.
- Movable‑shape drills that cycle every 3 frets (dim7) and 4 frets (aug) with a metronome.
- Backing tracks & play‑along progressions to practice passing moves, turnarounds, and augmented dominants.
- Ear‑training prompts to recognize tension and predict resolutions.
- Structured lessons & checkpoints so you can track progress and build real‑world fluency.
Open Fretello, jump into the harmonic expansion lessons, and start weaving diminished and augmented colors into your playing today.