
You can hear a diminished chord used in this way in the song “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys. The most common use of a diminished chord is to transition between two other, more stable-sounding chords. Are diminished chords used in rock songs?ĭiminished keyboard chords are less common than major and minor chords, but are still frequently used in rock and pop songs.

To find the notes of a diminished chord, count a step-and-a-half from the root to the third, and then a step-and-a-half from the third to the fifth. The diminished triad uses a minor third, and a lowered fifth, called a “diminished fifth.” A diminished fifth is three whole-steps, or six half-steps, above the root note. The third interval in a minor chord is called a “minor third.” The fifth interval in a minor chord is the same as in a major chord, the interval of a “perfect fifth.” Most rock and pop songs use a mixture of major and minor piano chords. “Comfortably Numb” is an example of a rock song that begins with a minor chord. Minor chords are also very common in rock and pop music. NOTE: Many of the movement and draw commands are constrained by the snap setting that controls how notes move relative to the Piano roll grid. Combined with the Piano roll menu you will find the possibilities are endless and (after practice) effortless.


From the third, count two whole-steps (or four half steps) to find the fifth. FL Studio has, arguably, the most powerful Piano roll editor available. To play a minor chord, select any root note, then count three half-steps up to the third. Minor chords, like major chords, contain three basic keyboard notes, a root note, third, and fifth.
