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A diminished chord occupies a unique niche in Western harmony—a compact cluster of power that evokes unease, suspense, or anticipation. Technically, the chord is built from a root, a minor third above ...

Augmented and diminished chords have something of a bad reputation. Whenever anyone makes a joke about an overly complicated piece of music, they’re usually part of the punchline. In actual fact, ...

The "forbidden chord," popular in heavy metal, is full of dissonance and creates a sense of doom or unease. Here's a look at ...

Diminished seventh (or ‘dim7’ from here on out) chords are nowhere near as scary as they sound - once you know the formula for how to put them together, they’re pretty easy to suss. This is down to ...

Editor's note: This segment was rebroadcast on Dec. 25, 2025. Find that audio here. Among the most cherished elements of the holiday season is Christmas music. It’s perhaps the only holiday that comes ...