Cdim Guitar Chord (C Diminished)

Q: What notes are in the Cdim chord?

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

Q: How do you play Cdim on guitar?

The shape in the main diagram is x31x12 (at the 1st fret). Put your little finger (4) on the 3rd fret of the A (5th) string. Put your index finger (1) on the 1st fret of the D (4th) string. Put your middle finger (2) on the 1st fret of the B (2nd) string. Put your ring finger (3) on the 2nd fret of the high E (1st) string. Don't play the low E (6th) or G (3rd) strings (marked X). Strum from the A (5th) string down (4 strings).

The Cdim guitar chord (C diminished) has 3 notes: C, E♭ and G♭. Below you'll find 4 shapes with diagrams, how to play it step by step, the keys it belongs to and common progressions that use it.

x31x12 · at the 1st fret

Notes: C – E♭ – G♭
Formula: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5
Type: diminished
Difficulty: easy

Transpose a song

All 4 ways to play Cdim on guitar

x31x12 at the 1st fret
x3454x at the 3rd fret
86x87x at the 6th fret
x-x-10-11-x-11 at the 10th 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 Cdim on guitar

Main shape: x31x12 (at the 1st fret).

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

Cdim notes and intervals

Note	Formula	Interval from the root
C	1	root
E♭	♭3	minor 3rd
G♭	♭5	diminished 5th

Inversions: the same notes with another one in the bass, written as slash chords: Cdim/E♭ (1st inversion) and Cdim/G♭ (2nd inversion).

Cdim on piano and ukulele

Cdim on piano C – E♭ – G♭
Cdim on ukulele 5323

Which keys use Cdim?

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

Key	Written	Numeral	Function
D♭ major	C°	vii°	dominant
B♭ minor	C°	ii°	predominant
C♯ minor	B♯°	vii°	dominant (harmonic minor)

Transpose Cdim

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

Cdim C E♭ G♭ original

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

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cdim chord?

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

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.

Is there an easy way to play Cdim?

Cdim is already one of the easier chords. The easiest shape is x3454x (at the 3rd fret).

What key is Cdim in?

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

How do you play Cdim on guitar?

The shape in the main diagram is x31x12 (at the 1st fret).

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

How many ways can you play Cdim on guitar?

This page shows 4 shapes: x31x12 (at the 1st fret), x3454x (at the 3rd fret), 86x87x (at the 6th fret) and x-x-10-11-x-11 (at the 10th fret). All of them contain the chord's essential notes.

More chords

Last updated: October 12, 2026