D Diminished Chord on Guitar
Ddim D F A♭ 3 shapes Open chord
Chord diagrams
How to play D Diminished on guitar
The D Diminished chord (Ddim) is made of D, F, A♭ - 1 b3 b5. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the open shape xx0131, with no barre. Below are 3 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 5 x5676x
E-shape barre, fret 10 (10)(11)(12)(10)xx
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 D Diminished?
The D Diminished chord has 3 different notes: D, F, A♭. Two minor thirds stacked; the diminished fifth (6 half steps above D) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| D | Root | 0 |
| F | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| A♭ | Diminished 5th | 6 |
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play Ddim on guitar?
The open shape xx0131: G string fret 1 (finger 1), B string fret 3 (finger 3), high E string fret 1 (finger 2); let D ring open, do not play low E and A.
What notes are in the D Diminished chord?
The D Diminished chord (Ddim) is made of D, F, A♭. Its formula is 1 b3 b5. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Is there a barre version of Ddim?
Yes: e-shape barre, fret 10 ((10)(11)(12)(10)xx). Barre shapes have no open strings, so you can cut the sound short with your fretting hand.
Keep playing
Strum Ddim, then build a song around it
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