A#dim Guitar Chord (A Sharp Diminished)

The A#dim guitar chord (A sharp diminished, also written B♭dim) has 3 notes: A♯, C♯ and E. Below you'll find 5 shapes with diagrams, how to play it step by step, the keys it belongs to and common progressions that use it.

A♯dim guitar chord: x1232x1243EADGBE
x1232x · at the 1st fret
Notes
A♯ – C♯ – E
Formula
1 – ♭3 – ♭5
Type
diminished
Also written
B♭dim
Difficulty
easy

Transpose a song

All 5 ways to play A#dim on guitar

  • A♯dim guitar chord: x1232x1243
    x1232x at the 1st fret
  • A♯dim guitar chord: x123201243
    x12320 open position
  • A♯dim guitar chord: 64x65x4fr3142
    64x65x at the 4th fret
  • A♯dim guitar chord: xx89x98fr123
    xx89x9 at the 8th fret
  • A♯dim guitar chord: x-13-11-x-11-1211fr4123
    x-13-11-x-11-12 at the 11th fret

Diagrams: strings run from the lowest on the left; X = don't play, O = open string, numbers = fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little finger).

How to play A#dim on guitar

Main shape: x1232x (at the 1st fret).

  1. Put your index finger (1) on the 1st fret of the A (5th) string.
  2. Put your middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret of the D (4th) string.
  3. Put your little finger (4) on the 3rd fret of the G (3rd) string.
  4. Put your ring finger (3) on the 2nd fret of the B (2nd) string.
  5. Don't play the low E (6th) or high E (1st) strings (marked X).
  6. Strum from the A (5th) string down (4 strings).

A#dim notes and intervals

NoteFormulaInterval from the root
A♯ 1 root
C♯ ♭3 minor 3rd
E ♭5 diminished 5th

Inversions: the same notes with another one in the bass, written as slash chords: A♯dim/C♯ (1st inversion) and A♯dim/E (2nd inversion).

A#dim on piano and ukulele

  • A♯dim piano chord: A♯ C♯ EEA♯C♯
    A♯dim on piano A♯ – C♯ – E
  • A♯dim ukulele chord: 3101312
    A♯dim on ukulele 3101

Which keys use A#dim?

A♯dim is one of the basic chords of 2 keys. Its number (Roman numeral) and job change with the key:

KeyWrittenNumeralFunction
B major A♯° vii° dominant
G♯ minor A♯° ii° predominant
B minor A♯° vii° dominant (harmonic minor)

Transpose A#dim

Move the chord up or down by semitones to see its name and notes in another key.

A♯dim A♯ C♯ E original

Diminished chords on every root: Fdim F♯dim Gdim A♭dim Adim A♯dim Bdim Cdim C♯dim Ddim E♭dim Edim

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A#dim chord?

A♯dim has 3 notes: A♯, C♯ and E. Its formula is 1 – ♭3 – ♭5: A♯ is the root, C♯ a minor 3rd and E a diminished 5th above it.

Is A#dim the same as Bbdim?

Yes. A♯ and B♭ are two names for the same note (the same piano key and the same fret), so A♯dim and B♭dim sound the same and use the same shapes. The name follows the key: A♯° in B major and G♯ minor.

What key is A#dim in?

A♯dim is vii° in B major and ii° in G♯ minor. It is also vii° in B minor (harmonic minor, with the raised 7th). The other chords of B major are B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯ and G♯m.

How do you play A#dim on guitar?

The shape in the main diagram is x1232x (at the 1st fret).

  1. Put your index finger (1) on the 1st fret of the A (5th) string.
  2. Put your middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret of the D (4th) string.
  3. Put your little finger (4) on the 3rd fret of the G (3rd) string.
  4. Put your ring finger (3) on the 2nd fret of the B (2nd) string.
  5. Don't play the low E (6th) or high E (1st) strings (marked X).
  6. Strum from the A (5th) string down (4 strings).
What is a diminished chord?

A diminished chord has a root, a minor 3rd and a diminished 5th (1–♭3–♭5). It is written dim or °. In a major key, the chord on the 7th note (vii°) is diminished.

How many ways can you play A#dim on guitar?

This page shows 5 shapes: x1232x (at the 1st fret), x12320 (open position), 64x65x (at the 4th fret), xx89x9 (at the 8th fret) and x-13-11-x-11-12 (at the 11th fret). All of them contain the chord's essential notes.

More chords

Related guitar chords: Cdim Ddim Bdim Adim Gdim D#dim C#dim G#dim

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