F♯ Diminished Chord on Guitar
F♯dim F♯ A C 2 shapes Barre chord
Also written G♭dim: the same frets under another name.
Chord diagrams
How to play F♯ Diminished on guitar
The F♯ Diminished chord (F♯dim) is made of F♯, A, C - 1 b3 b5. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the E-shape barre at fret 2 (2342xx). 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 9 x9(10)(11)(10)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 F♯ Diminished?
The F♯ Diminished chord has 3 different notes: F♯, A, C. Two minor thirds stacked; the diminished fifth (6 half steps above F♯) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| F♯ | Root | 0 |
| A | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| C | Diminished 5th | 6 |
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play F♯dim on guitar?
The E-shape shape 2342xx: low E string fret 2 (finger 1), A string fret 3 (finger 2), D string fret 4 (finger 3), G string fret 2 (finger 1); do not play B and high E. Your index finger lies flat across fret 2.
What notes are in the F♯ Diminished chord?
The F♯ Diminished chord (F♯dim) is made of F♯, A, C. Its formula is 1 b3 b5. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Can I play F♯dim without a barre?
There is no common open shape for F♯dim in standard tuning, so it is played as a movable shape: e-shape barre, fret 2 (2342xx) 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 F♯ 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 F♯dim, then build a song around it
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