Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
Diminished chords stop being scary the second you stop memorizing them and start MOVING one note.
Try every lesson for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
This is from my SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ course, built on "Asking You Out" by the Quinn Perry Trio.
"B, D sharp, F sharp would be a major chord. B, D, F sharp is the minor. B diminished -- you move that one down. You can do that with any chord. Half diminished always has that little line through it like that. And you get that little dreamy sound."
DO THIS AT THE PIANO TONIGHT
- Play B, D sharp, F sharp. That is B major. Now move the middle note down one half step to D. That is B minor. Nothing else changed.
- Now move the TOP note down one half step, F sharp to F. B, D, F. That is B diminished. Two small moves took you from major to diminished without memorizing a thing.
- Add the A on top and you have B half diminished seventh -- the dreamy one. Written Bm7b5, or with that little circle with a line through it.
- Drop that A to G sharp instead and it is a FULLY diminished seventh. One note is the whole difference between the two chords everybody mixes up.
- Do the same three moves starting on C, then on F, then on E flat. The rule does not care what chord you start on.
WHY THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY TO LEARN DIMINISHED CHORDS
Most adult players learn chords as separate hand shapes, so a diminished chord feels like a brand new thing to memorize in twelve keys. It is not. Every chord family is one small move away from the family next to it, and once you feel major to minor to diminished as a note sliding down, you can build any of them anywhere on the keyboard without a chart. The half diminished seventh is the sound under half the ballads you love -- warm, unsettled, and one note away from something you already play.
WHAT IS IN THE SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ COURSE
PART ONE is the full song, hands together, line by line, from my annotated sheet music with the letter name printed inside every notehead, and my hands on camera from directly overhead.
PART TWO is seven eight-bar chord progressions pulled out of the tune: quartal minor 11 shapes, the stubborn A pedal, slash chords, half diminished, borrowed major 13 color, the Lydian sharp 11, and the minor four chord that makes a major song ache. Every bar gives you the chord for two beats and then two beats of silence, and that silence is yours to answer in.
PART THREE is over fifty jazz licks, one over every chord in those progressions, with play-along tracks and printable sheet music.
Start the Smooth Piano Jazz course on your $1 trial: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
#diminishedchords #halfdiminished #jazzpiano #jazzchords #pianochords #smoothjazz #pianolesson #learnpiano #pianotutorial #adultpianostudent #jazzlicks #musictheory #pianoteacher #jazzpianolesson #pianopractice
👍 Try 1,000 free lessons today on webpianoteacher.com ✅ Learn to play piano with Shawn’s revolutionary method
Read Google Reviews by Shawn’s actual students google.com/search?sca_esv=5009c1303de011b0&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1008US1008&hl=en-US&q=web+piano+teacher+reviews&uds=ADvngMgvgkdrPGdvQSDLpEVP-ZodsumYvHbzDCPdZxu7y1dxdo5qqAYWcbG74nStvB1P7oPuKgMFxvRIzd_DZN3tMyxEyrPXSMvg62M7DhKnaOoXRrvMRlR2qOzpuVB5MFvbzhVxfpnLmeUii_UEMspRA9Sb2_UNlNmYcxD8gSa_9Y-ZrAhmC7PMo4dC-3yAW2NaRCTwbTkIJFF0zACFe0MmWygbXUnSyy4URj5yYn7f6Y92qL5F7C65sP-AwHchpQ_w3yruheB24nu-AvcfFQo-ckINkBqWAeio4R0dm9r8cmVn2A7RlUhPAPOZyHpYJ2DontEmnoCi9_eEmhwW9RpGrsajaR7u8_U58p0eD_M4AQtnaQce2g4_3U4ECJVG1OOQrlRFwR4byywOQYKXK-PF9b_wDOJ4wtlppDpfX1FhULjD2H_jbmF3keFLT-JjbHx5mU1wYAbm&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7tVxiqnhHYhqKwDDsP2tv6FAZ1fBoW06Zy-5I4bv_4sVUMNgTvp0JS4qCRvaokEGreiT-RV-opIxhvzKSE6856yE4kgwpddtdtU31HEpdWwEdq8gXg%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik1uakreOIAxVxKkQIHU2mGhQQk8gLegQIKRAB&ictx=1&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
🎹 #learntoplaypiano #learnpiano #pianocover #pianolessons #pianoteacher #pianotutorial #easypiano #howtoplaypiano http:webpianoteacher.com
🎹 Testimonials from Shawn’s actual students: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bI83Iun0tmCk-4IOSVAxm6S
🔥Billy Joel Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bKGJ1HDqNoqdQ02-o579MQk
🔥Elton John Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bJV-8LhjXDcX5W4XRLhFhQZ
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Diminished chords stop being scary the second you stop memorizing them and start MOVING one note.
Try every lesson for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
This is from my SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ course, built on "Asking You Out" by the Quinn Perry Trio.
"B, D sharp, F sharp would be a major chord. B, D, F sharp is the minor. B diminished -- you move that one down. You can do that with any chord. Half diminished always has that little line through it like that. And you get that little dreamy sound."
DO THIS AT THE PIANO TONIGHT
- Play B, D sharp, F sharp. That is B major. Now move the middle note down one half step to D. That is B minor. Nothing else changed.
- Now move the TOP note down one half step, F sharp to F. B, D, F. That is B diminished. Two small moves took you from major to diminished without memorizing a thing.
- Add the A on top and you have B half diminished seventh -- the dreamy one. Written Bm7b5, or with that little circle with a line through it.
- Drop that A to G sharp instead and it is a FULLY diminished seventh. One note is the whole difference between the two chords everybody mixes up.
- Do the same three moves starting on C, then on F, then on E flat. The rule does not care what chord you start on.
WHY THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY TO LEARN DIMINISHED CHORDS
Most adult players learn chords as separate hand shapes, so a diminished chord feels like a brand new thing to memorize in twelve keys. It is not. Every chord family is one small move away from the family next to it, and once you feel major to minor to diminished as a note sliding down, you can build any of them anywhere on the keyboard without a chart. The half diminished seventh is the sound under half the ballads you love -- warm, unsettled, and one note away from something you already play.
WHAT IS IN THE SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ COURSE
PART ONE is the full song, hands together, line by line, from my annotated sheet music with the letter name printed inside every notehead, and my hands on camera from directly overhead.
PART TWO is seven eight-bar chord progressions pulled out of the tune: quartal minor 11 shapes, the stubborn A pedal, slash chords, half diminished, borrowed major 13 color, the Lydian sharp 11, and the minor four chord that makes a major song ache. Every bar gives you the chord for two beats and then two beats of silence, and that silence is yours to answer in.
PART THREE is over fifty jazz licks, one over every chord in those progressions, with play-along tracks and printable sheet music.
Start the Smooth Piano Jazz course on your $1 trial: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
#diminishedchords #halfdiminished #jazzpiano #jazzchords #pianochords #smoothjazz #pianolesson #learnpiano #pianotutorial #adultpianostudent #jazzlicks #musictheory #pianoteacher #jazzpianolesson #pianopractice
👍 Try 1,000 free lessons today on webpianoteacher.com ✅ Learn to play piano with Shawn’s revolutionary method
Read Google Reviews by Shawn’s actual students google.com/search?sca_esv=5009c1303de011b0&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1008US1008&hl=en-US&q=web+piano+teacher+reviews&uds=ADvngMgvgkdrPGdvQSDLpEVP-ZodsumYvHbzDCPdZxu7y1dxdo5qqAYWcbG74nStvB1P7oPuKgMFxvRIzd_DZN3tMyxEyrPXSMvg62M7DhKnaOoXRrvMRlR2qOzpuVB5MFvbzhVxfpnLmeUii_UEMspRA9Sb2_UNlNmYcxD8gSa_9Y-ZrAhmC7PMo4dC-3yAW2NaRCTwbTkIJFF0zACFe0MmWygbXUnSyy4URj5yYn7f6Y92qL5F7C65sP-AwHchpQ_w3yruheB24nu-AvcfFQo-ckINkBqWAeio4R0dm9r8cmVn2A7RlUhPAPOZyHpYJ2DontEmnoCi9_eEmhwW9RpGrsajaR7u8_U58p0eD_M4AQtnaQce2g4_3U4ECJVG1OOQrlRFwR4byywOQYKXK-PF9b_wDOJ4wtlppDpfX1FhULjD2H_jbmF3keFLT-JjbHx5mU1wYAbm&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7tVxiqnhHYhqKwDDsP2tv6FAZ1fBoW06Zy-5I4bv_4sVUMNgTvp0JS4qCRvaokEGreiT-RV-opIxhvzKSE6856yE4kgwpddtdtU31HEpdWwEdq8gXg%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik1uakreOIAxVxKkQIHU2mGhQQk8gLegQIKRAB&ictx=1&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
🎹 #learntoplaypiano #learnpiano #pianocover #pianolessons #pianoteacher #pianotutorial #easypiano #howtoplaypiano http:webpianoteacher.com
🎹 Testimonials from Shawn’s actual students: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bI83Iun0tmCk-4IOSVAxm6S
🔥Billy Joel Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bKGJ1HDqNoqdQ02-o579MQk
🔥Elton John Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bJV-8LhjXDcX5W4XRLhFhQZ
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