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Diminished Chord on guitar

A diminished chord is a root, a minor third and a flat fifth. It sounds tense and wants to move on.

Written asCdim
Formula1 b3 b5
Notes in CdimC Eb Gb
Semitones from the root0, 3, 6

About the Diminished Chord

Two minor 3rds stacked give the diminished triad. B diminished is B, D and F.

In a major key it sits on the 7th note: Bdim in C major. It works like a G7 without its root and pulls hard toward C.

Use it as a passing chord between two chords a whole step apart, such as C, C#dim, Dm.

Intervals

  • 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
  • b3: Minor 3rd, 3 semitones above the root
  • b5: Tritone, 6 semitones above the root

Diminished Chord charts in all 12 keys

Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.

Cdim: C Eb Gb

Cdim×××312
x31xx2
Cdim×31412
x31512

Gdim: G Bb Db

Gdim××3124
31xx23
Gdim×○3124
31x023

Ddim: D F Ab

Ddim××○132
xx0131
Ddim×42131
x53131

Adim: A C Eb

Adim×○×132
x0121x
Adim×○1214
x01215

Edim: E G Bb

Edim○○××12
0120xx
Edim○12343
012353

Bdim: B D F

Bdim×○××21
x20xx1
Bdim7○T3412
789707

F#dim: F# A C

F#dim○××213
20xx12
F#dim○×2314
20x212

C#dim: C# E G

C#dim×○○312
x42020
C#dim5○○4312
975050

G#dim: G# B D

G#dim○○×421
42010x
G#dim○○3214
420104

Ebdim: Eb Gb A

Ebdim××1243
xx1242
Ebdim2×42131
x64242

Bbdim: Bb Db Fb

Bbdim×○1243
x12320

Fdim: F Ab Cb

Fdim○T3412
123101

Scales to play over Cdim

Each of these scales, started on the root of Cdim, holds every note of the chord:

More chord types