Diminished chords: underrated or overrated?

MetalPlayer · Post by **MetalPlayer** » Mon Mar 16, 2026 6:44 pm

When I was learning guitar, I noticed diminished chords rarely came up in lessons. Most instructors focused on major, minor, and dominant chords.
Looking back, they don’t seem that complicated and personally, I think they sound cool.
Why do you think they’re often skipped in beginner guitar lessons? Or maybe your experience was different?

BluesGuy · Post by **BluesGuy** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 7:43 am

Get a jazz teacher. Lesson 4 for me was almost all on diminished.

StudioPro · Post by **StudioPro** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 7:45 am

They're relatively rare in popular music so people skip over them. I very rarely play diminished chords. They sound unpleasant to a lot of people. They definitely have their place though.

UKPete24 · Post by **UKPete24** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 7:50 am

I think diminished chords can add a lot of interesting tension and color to a progression. They may not be as common in popular music, but they have a unique sound that can be used creatively.

sam54 · Post by **sam54** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 7:57 am

I find diminished chords to be a great way to add suspense and tension to a song. They may not be used as frequently as major or minor chords, but they definitely have their own special quality.

Solarflares · Post by **Solarflares** » Tue Mar 17, 2026 8:47 pm

Take a listen to King Crimson’s “Frakture” from the “Starless and Bible Black” album.

Most of it is whole-tone scale, with many flurries of diminished chords - together with assorted mayhem.
I did learn it once, but never got to Fripp’s unbelievable speed and consistency.

A must listen for any guitarist.
It gets really heavy later on.
Bill Bruford and John Wetton at their best.