G# diminished chord

G♯ diminished — G♯, B, D — is the vii° of A major and the ii° of F♯ minor. It's a common chord in guitar-friendly sharp keys, with one sharp (G♯) on the root and two naturals above. Its tritone (G♯ to D) creates strong pull toward A.

Intervals

The G# diminished chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

• G#→Bminor 3rd3 semitones
• B→Dminor 3rd3 semitones
• G#→Ddiminished 5th6 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the G# diminished chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the G# diminished chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

G♯° has G♯ as the root, then B and D natural. Reading B as B♯ or D as D♯ destroys the diminished quality — turning the chord into G♯ minor or another harmony. The three-sharp signature of A major is dense enough that beginners sometimes apply sharps too liberally; G♯° is a useful reminder that not every note in a sharp key is sharp.

In context

G♯° → A major (vii° → I) is the cadence in A major. G♯° → C♯7 → F♯m (ii° → V → i) is the cadence in F♯ minor. Bach uses G♯° in his F♯ minor literature; the chord's strong pull toward A also makes it useful as a borrowed leading-tone chord in C♯ minor.

Related

Frequently asked

What notes are in a G♯ diminished chord?

G♯ diminished contains three notes: G♯ (the root), B (the minor third), and D (the diminished fifth).

What key uses G♯ diminished?

G♯° is the vii° of A major and the ii° of F♯ minor. Both keys share the three-sharp signature.

How does G♯ diminished resolve?

In A major, G♯° resolves to A: G♯ rises to A, B holds or rises, D falls to C♯. The voice-leading is the textbook leading-tone cadence.

Is G♯ diminished the same as A♭ diminished?

Enharmonically yes, but A♭° (A♭–C♭–E𝄫) requires a double-flat, so it's rarely written. G♯° is the standard spelling.