Diminished ..........................................................................................
Diminished chords are “dark, strained, complex.”To build a diminished chord using half and whole steps, remember:
root, 3 half steps + 3 half steps (Figure 10-11).Augmented ..........................................................................................
Augmented chords are “anticipatory, full of movement.”To build an augmented chord using half and whole steps, remember:
root position + 4 half steps + 4 half steps (Figure 10-12).&4
4
w
w
w
b
b
Cdim
Figure 10-11:
C diminished.
Diminished
chords are
made from
the 1, flat 3,
and flat 5
tones of the
major scale.&4
4 w
w
w
w
b
Cm9
Figure 10-10:
C minor
ninth. Minor
ninth chords
are made
from the 1,
flat 3, 5, and
9 tones of
the major
scale.108 Part III: Harmony and Structure