Chord family · 12 shapes
Diminished chords
A diminished triad stacks two minor thirds: C to Eb, then Eb to Gb. Its formula is 1, flat 3 and flat 5. The flat fifth distinguishes it from a minor chord and gives it a tense sound.
Bdim is the seventh-degree triad in C major. Its notes B, D and F all come from that scale. Listen to Bdim followed by C: the leading note B rises to C while F falls to E.
Diminished
12 shapesHow to use diminished chords in a song
Dim and dim7 are different chords here. Cdim has three notes; Cdim7 adds Bbb, which sounds as A. The four-note dim7 chord has the symmetry that lets the same note set be renamed four ways.
The triad does not repeat the same note set every three frets. Sliding Cdim up three frets gives Ebdim, with Eb, Gb and A. Two notes overlap, but A replaces C, so the chord has changed.
A movable shape is still useful: shift every fretted note the same distance and the root moves with it. Keep muted strings silent. Open strings must also be fretted or omitted when you move an open-position shape.
Choose the target chord before practising the change. Hold Bdim for two beats and C for two beats, then reverse them. Comparing both directions makes the tension and release easier to hear without needing a complete song.
If you only try two of the shapes on this page, try Cdim and C#dim: both can be reached from shapes you already know, so the change stays playable at speed. Play them slowly enough that you hear the added note arrive, then speed the loop up without changing anything else.
How to practise diminished chords
- Play Bdim, then C, one chord every two beats. Listen for B rising to C and F falling to E.
- Compare Cdim with Cm: the fifth is Gb in Cdim and G in Cm. Pick that note separately to hear the difference.
- Play the Cdim shape, then move its fretted notes up three frets to Ebdim. Name the new notes rather than assuming they are an inversion of Cdim.
Diminished chords in real songs
The song sheets linked elsewhere in this library do not require these dim triads. Try the short Bdim to C exercise below to hear their resolving sound.
Printable family chart
