A♭ Diminished Chord on Guitar
A♭dim A♭ C♭ E𝄫 2 shapes Barre chord
Also written G♯dim: the same frets under another name.
Chord diagrams
How to play A♭ Diminished on guitar
The A♭ Diminished chord (A♭dim) is made of A♭, C♭, E𝄫 - 1 b3 b5. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the E-shape barre at fret 4 (4564xx). 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.
A-shape, fret 11 x(11)(12)(13)(12)x
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 A♭dim on guitar?
The E-shape shape 4564xx: low E string fret 4 (finger 1), A string fret 5 (finger 2), D string fret 6 (finger 3), G string fret 4 (finger 1); do not play B and high E. Your index finger lies flat across fret 4.
What notes are in the A♭ Diminished chord?
The A♭ Diminished chord (A♭dim) 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 A♭dim without a barre?
There is no common open shape for A♭dim in standard tuning, so it is played as a movable shape: e-shape barre, fret 4 (4564xx) 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.
Is A♭ Diminished the same as G♯dim?
On the guitar, yes: the same frets. The name changes with the key - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Keep playing
Strum A♭dim, then build a song around it
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