A Diminished Chord on Guitar
Adim A C E♭ 2 shapes Barre chord
Chord diagrams
How to play A Diminished on guitar
The A Diminished chord (Adim) is made of A, C, E♭ - 1 b3 b5. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the A-shape shape at fret 1 (x0121x). Below are 2 shapes in all, from the lowest on the neck to the highest; the same chord sounds brighter the higher you play it.
E-shape barre, fret 5 5675xx
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right). Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. x = do not play the string, o = open string, a bar = one finger across several strings.
Notes
What notes are in A Diminished?
The A Diminished chord has 3 different notes: A, C, E♭. Two minor thirds stacked; the diminished fifth (6 half steps above A) gives it its tension. A guitar chord rarely has as many strings as notes, so shapes double some of them: every shape here leaves at least one string unplayed - watch the x marks. Mute the strings marked x with the side of a fretting finger, so that only the chord rings.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| A | Root | 0 |
| C | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| E♭ | Diminished 5th | 6 |
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play Adim on guitar?
The A-shape shape x0121x: D string fret 1 (finger 1), G string fret 2 (finger 3), B string fret 1 (finger 2); let A ring open, do not play low E and high E.
What notes are in the A Diminished chord?
The A Diminished chord (Adim) is made of A, C, E♭. Its formula is 1 b3 b5. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Can I play Adim without a barre?
There is no common open shape for Adim in standard tuning, so it is played as a movable shape: a-shape, open position (x0121x) is the lowest on the neck. If a full barre is hard at first, play only the four highest strings of that shape - the root and the third are still there.
Keep playing
Strum Adim, then build a song around it
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