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We should never diminish chords. They deserve our respect and esteem for their contribution to music. Don't diminish chords, praise them.

The dim7 chord is really just three minor thirds in a trenchcoat

My love and respect for the diminished chord has been sharply, augmented.

I think one of the most useful and insightful things that David does in these videos is record and play the alternative. As in "They didn't have to do it this way, they could simply have done this..." What a considerate addition. Thanks for all your work!

It’s incredibly helpful when Mr. Bennett shows an example, and then shows an alternate version of what it would sound like in another instance - In this case, what would happen if the chord wasn’t diminished. He does this often in his videos, and I learn so much from it every time. Thank you for your time and your talent.

I love the diminished chord in "youve got a friend in me", especially because its almost immediately followed by an augmented chord

I can't even put into words the joy that seeing All Star in a David Bennett video gives me.

these chords are EVIL muhaha

I love diminished chords. As a child, playing electric organ there were pre-programmed chords and I loved to play along with them. I felt they sounded mysterious and exciting and today I really love when they are incorporated in modern music.

"Songs that use Diminished Chords" *proceeds to show muse´s entire discography*

Your piece at the end that only uses diminished chords is actually pretty cool. It may not be very practical for a song on the radio, but I can totally hear that being used in a film score.

I spent so many years learning music theory by shear force in classical music school, but feeling like it wasn't useful at all, and now in my thirties I am actually understanding practical harmony thanks to amazing youtubers such as David Bennet! Thank you so much!

Songs that include diminished and augmented chords are my favorite when they’re done right. They add so much variety to songs that I love so much

there's a brazillian song called "Ela Partiu"(she left) that has a cool diminished guitar lick, where the guitarist plays a diminished chord, and moves it above it a minor third repeatedly, thus changing chords several times, but never changing notes. as you explain in 17:37

Here in Brazil, diminished chords are pretty common in many forms and styles! Samba, bossa nova, forró/xote and so on. It's also common in the traditional music of other Latin America nations

The tension built by the diminished chord is like the tension I feel while waiting for David to use an example from a Radiohead song. Radiohead is my resolved chord.

You just did better in 15 minutes than 10 years of conservatory for my reading of chords. Brilliant!

Life on Mars is absolutely phenomenal when it comes to diminished chords and is overall such a great song. Love Bowie.

Dude... Your videos impart what an alcoholic would call a "moment of clarity." Great videos, breh!

I've been a musician for nearly 30 years and I was totally blown over by 'love is a losing game ' Amy was 17 when she wrote that ...I think some people are just born to do it . The use of the dim chord in ' God only knows ' is just sublime...that's another song that is full of fantastic chords ...the way he uses inversions is just genius

I hope you include a Beatles song for once

Thanks once again David! Might be no exaggeration to say that 25% of everything I've learned about the deep & wondrous pool that is music theory, I learned from watching your videos, sitting at the piano, trying it out as I go.

I’m studying music theory at university and this is the best way I’ve heard this concept explained so far. Thanks, I’ve been trying to understand this concept of what you use a diminished chord for. I thought this would be a fun trivia video, I love random knowledge, and I got that and more understanding of my degree :)

The Shadows' Chattanooga Choo-choo instrumental starts with three pairs of diminished chords in different inversions giving the illusion of a train whistle.

Ghost Town by The Specials starts with 4 dimished chords in a row. (C dim, D flat dim, D dim, and E flat dim)

God Only Knows actually uses both a half diminished chord and a regular diminished 7 chord, it’s such an interesting and beautiful composition!

I love the song you made in only diminished chords. Such a eerie and beautiful vibe to it!

Thank you for making this video. I actually requested it a few months ago, and you responded that you'd make it. I can't imagine how much work one of these videos takes. So I really appreciate it. Diminished chords are my favorite songwriting tool. I use them in almost every song I write. The most common way I use them is the "Don't Look Back in Anger" style of progression (as a transition between the V and vi chords). But one song of mine uses a B dim 7 to resolve to G minor 7. The B resolves to Bb, the D stays on D, the F stays on F, and the G# resolves to G.

My Sweet Lord is an example which springs to mind (dim7).

Diminished chords are so intriguing to me because of their symmetry. That attribute wasn’t explicitly mentioned here, but it seems to be implied by a lot of what you demonstrated. While I hear a lot of diminished chords as being added in between chords as cool connective tissue, their symmetry also allows them to be used as interesting tools for modulation. Also, the piece you composed for the ending sounds like it belongs in the EarthBound soundtrack. I dig it.

Thanks for yet another fantastic songwriting lesson! This was really interesting. I appreciate all the examples and the clear explanation of how to use diminished chords when composing. Keep up the great work! Thank you!

The first time I used a diminished chord in something, it was C, B half-dim, D half-dim, G. It was on guitar, so I just slid the whole B chord up 3 frets. Now I realize it's a pretty basic way to use diminished chords, but it's kind of fun to think that I stumbled into it out without the help of theory, then the theory helped me understand it.

As a long-time guitar player, I was always baffled as to how a writer would think to chose a particular diminished chord for a transition in a song. I recently set a goal for myself to learn to play keyboards and I started playing songs that I had played many times on guitar on the piano. While playing these changes on a keyboard I had an epiphany. The most common use for a diminished triad (not the dim 7ths) is simply to create a line cliché by moving the ROOT of the chord up one half step and leaving the 3rd and the 5th alone. So, if you start with a C and move the root up one half step, you get a C#dim. The vast majority of the pop songs I had been playing with diminished triads had the diminished chord immediately preceded or immediately followed by the major chord one half step away. So, in Bennie and the Jets the change is G, G#dim, Am7. G#dim is just a G with the root raised by a half step leading to the Am7. The change in Don't Look Back in Anger is G, G#dim, Am. Again G#dim is just a G with the root raised by a half step. Georgia on My Mind - C7, C#dim7, G/D. This time the C#dim7 is just a C7 with the root raised up one half step. All Star - B, Cdim, B. Cdim is a B with the root raised up one half step. So all you're doing is moving the root up one half step and then back down again. When the Party's Over - A A#dim, B7. The line cliché in Your Song goes backwards it moves from an Adim to an Ab. An Ab is just an Adim with the root dropped by a half step. This little revelation suddenly made it clear why diminished chords were so often a natural result of changes when you're moving only the bass line or the root to transition into another chord.

The fully diminished track at the end sounds like you're in a mist-filled graveyard late at night, slowly making your way down into a spooky crypt, lantern in hand. I'm sure there's at least one piece from the Monkey Island games that sounds just like this.

Wonderful tutorial! You answered me in 20 minutes questions I had make myself in 40 years. Thank you very much.

Just discovered this channel yesterday off of my recommended, absolute goldmine. The visuals and explanations are superb

Genesis loves diminished chords. They’re especially prominent in songs like “In the Cage” and “The Chamber of 32 Doors.”

I'm looking forward for the day you'll release a full video about Brazilian music/bossa nova and its chord progressions 🇧🇷

Best music theory teaching channel I’ve found. Great lessons, David. Very well structured with such great examples. First rate. Thanks.

I was already singing Life on Mars in my head when you did that line cliché!!

Finallyy, I’ve been searching for your diminish version

Metallica's Call of Ktulu is a lovely example of a great use of the chord. It switches between Am and Adim to build a "dark" tension.

this is a FANTASTIC video, thank you david! i'm using these in conjunction with your 'music theory concepts ranked by importance' video to fill the holes in my understanding of music.

Great, I just started looking at a few of your videos. I am amazed of how well you explain things. Some other teachers just don't get the point. Your way gets the point across. Thank you, keep up the great work you do.

Still Got The Blues by the late great Gary Moore uses a m7b5 to great effect. Lady Gaga’s use of a G#dim in Bad Romance before resolving on the relative minor is another favourite of mine. Absolutely makes that whole chorus.

Thank you David. Finally I found a video that helped me to better understand diminished chords.

Another excellent video. The musical journey of a thousand miles… starts with a single step. Each one of your videos is a step or two further on the journey. Good stuff.💪👍🎸

'If I can dream " by Elvis has a nice use of the dim chord and 'Saturday Sun' by Nick drake . Dim chords are used quite a bit in gospel and blues ...' I need your love so bad " by Fleetwood Mac circa Peter green is another nice use of it . The chords to ' bridge over trouble water's ' are all good, after the dim chord he goes to Bmin/A bass note and it's just a thing of beauty .

Living in a cave, I didn't know most of the songs, but this is a superb discussion, worth repeated viewings. Definitely moves me forward. Thanks.

I’ve also heard that some Christmas songs use diminished chords, including the miner flat 5. I’ve saw on Adam Neely’s video on Seline Dion’s version of all by myself, she used that miner flat 5 in what he calls, "The greatest key change in pop music."

In my view, the combination of your excellent commentary and your excellent examples really creates engagement with your videos. Very well done! I keep coming back for more.

Excellent tutorial David, I’m a composer from Ireland and I really enjoy your videos, your channel is great and you provide a wonderful service to aspiring musicians, thank you.

I love how you show so simply both what the concept is and how it's used in practice. The examples make it very clear. Thank you for going to the extra effort of finding/creating covers so we can hear what you mean without you getting demonetized. It's absolutely ridiculous that they make you do that when in reality you're giving the copyright holders free advertising by showcasing the music. Anyway, keep on doing what you do!

The all diminished song sounds like a suspense movie soundtrack...

You make music so fascinating. It doesn’t have near the impact written in a book. Awesome! Thank you!!

Wow-Best explanation and examples of what and how to use diminished chords! Thank you!

Love your videos, you help me learn along my first music theory class I’m taking right now with real world uses of music theory! Thanks for all your great vids!

"I'm going slightly mad" by Queen is stuffed with diminished chords

This has been the most helpful lesson for me on how to build interesting chord progressions, thank you.

So good these videos Dave!! the format of example - explanation is the perfect way to understand harmony.

Great video and explanation... especially the bit about the 3 ways to include a 7th. Never heard it put so clearly. I've got a piece that ends on a I dim...sort of an unresolved resolution. Pretty neat trick when it works.

Wow that resolution into the Bdim from the Bbdim7 in your piece was very impressive! I never thought I could experience such a thing.

This has to be one of the best guitar lessons I’ve come across on this site. Ever! It’s one thing learning a song with a diminished chord in it. But quite another learning HOW to use them yourself to compose a song. Thank you!

great vid as usual completely clearing up all the ragged ends of my knowledge of dims. love your mysterious all-dim piece

Eerie piece! loved it!

Woo I've never been this early for one of David's videos. Thanks for the great content!

Thanks so much for actually showing musical examples and then how they'd sound *without* the chord. Most music theory videos don't do this, which always makes me think "well, what's the alternative? What's the big deal here?" Showing both is super helpful. This was a really educational video. Thanks for posting, David. Subscribed!

I love the half diminished chord. It's such a unique kind of tension that is so satisfying to me.

I have been hearing The Beatles "Because" in my head for years and had no idea what the song was. God bless you for finally revealing it to me. I feel like I can die at peace now 😂

sheeeeesshh this one was super instructive and helpful

Thank you for ”augmenting” our understanding of the diminished chord, David!😉

It is extraordinary the amount of work you put into these videos. Thankyou.

So that piece of yours at the end could've come straight out of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It's really hauntingly beautiful.

I have been in several rock bands over the years and wrote and co-wrote songs all the while, WITH NEXT TO NO TRAINING. The David Bennett Piano channel is fascinating and helpful to me, so thanks! In this case, I will be looking over some of my songs to see if any of them could be enriched with diminished chords in the existing progressions.

Great, great, great video. An incredible usefull explanation to disminished chords uses. Thank you.

Came here to see if All Star is included. Was not disappointed :) Cheers for the great work on your videos!

Was just wondering if these were used... very convenient

I never really got so much insight on how some songs were built on diminished chords. Your videos with song examples are much better than any other videos that classicaly teach it. You are giving real life examples and as a singer songwriter myself i really appreciate understanding and appreciate your help

Im not even a musician or play an instrument and I get so much joy from learning all these. Thank you for enlightening my universe young man!

I think my favourite instance of a dimished chord is in the main Hamilton chord progression. It's just Bm F# G D Bbdim over and over again, but is captivating nonetheless.

Between the Buried and Me is a metal band where you are surprised when they DONT use a diminished chord

finally found a video that explains theory very clearly while evaluating examples/applications in a perspective that makes a lot of sense. thanks David! very well done! subscribed .. 👌🏽🤘🏽

I love your videos, i was making music for years not knowing what i was doing, then took lessons and learned the mathematics of it, and am still learning through videos like yours

7:36 Tom Waits actually uses a diatonic dimished vii chord in his song Martha, which is in major. The main piano riff simply switches back and forth between the I chord and dimished vii. Works quite well :)

16:04 - THANK YOU, YA BASTARD. I held out to see if he would include God Only Knows on the topic of diminished 7ths. Great video, love a being able to see the Beatles and The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson) show up in these videos, a testament to each group using musical ideas to great effect, unique or otherwise.

I like the way you explain music with examples, it makes them more understandable. Well done.

That filled in a number of aspects of diminished chords that I was not totally clear on. Will watch it again when I'm at the piano.

The piece at the end sounds like one of the tunes in Zelda.

I might be wrong, but I believe that the chord used in Don't Look Back in Anger is actually a E7/G# chord.

This is one of my videos you've created. I've always wanted to understand diminished chords in more detail. Thank you.

You're explanation on the half diminished chord makes so much sense I suddenly get it now. Thanks for filling out my theory!

Telephone - ELO uses 2 different diminished chords beautifully, one in the verse as a passing chord and one at the end of the chorus that I still don't understand fully why it works so well.

What I always take from this channel is that all of Music Theory can be extracted either from Something, ADay in the Life or Because. 😂😂

In Don't Look Back in Anger, another way to view that diminished chord is as the 7th degree of a harmonic minor scale in Am, rather than as being based off of the #5. That's one reason why it sounds so smooth to us, it brings us home to the temporary one chord of Am.

This video is amazing. I realized I have a better understanding of diminished chords after this than during my harmonic analysis courses a while ago !!

Diminished chords are my favorite! So versatile and dramatic, a lovely dissonance!

I really like the music theory videos. Keep it up! 👍

I’ve been studying dim chords lately, and this is the most complete video I’ve watch yet! As always, Amazing job, thank you!

these practical applications for the more unique colors in music have been insanely helpful. you're the man bro