Adim Guitar Chord | Play, Hear and Practice Diminished Sounds

A dim position 1 guitar chord diagram

Adim is the symbol for the A diminished chord, which contains A, C and Eb (root, minor third and flat five). The listed voicings run from fret 1 up to fret 10.

Where a major triad sounds settled, this one sounds like a question waiting for an answer. Looking for a scale to play over it? The A Locrian scale contains all three notes of Adim. Half-diminished and fully diminished chords belong to the same group, see the diminished chord family.

In Bb major, the chord on the seventh degree is a diminished triad, and here that chord is Adim. Set a slow tempo with the drum tool at the top of the page and play along, raising the tempo once the shape feels settled.

A diminished guitar chord is also written as Adim, A°, Am(b5) or Amb5.

Adim Chord Notes and Formula

Notes in the A dim chord:

A C Eb

Tones in the Diminished chord:

Formula: 1 b3 b5

A Dim Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

A Dim Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

A dim position 1 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the A string play without pressing any fret
  • Mute the high E string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the D string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the G string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 1 of the B string

Position 2 Open

A dim position 2 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the A string play without pressing any fret
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the B string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the high E string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the G string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the D string

Position 3 Open

A dim position 3 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the A string play without pressing any fret
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the D string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the G string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the high E string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the B string

Position 4 Open

A dim position 24 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the A string play without pressing any fret
  • Mute the B string
  • Mute the high E string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the D string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 2 of the G string

download this tutorial in pdf Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Chords That Go With Adim

One key where Adim fits is Bb major, where it works as the vii chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:

I · Bb ii · Cm iii · Dm IV · Eb V · F vi · Gm

See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.

More A Chords

A Am A7 Am7 Amaj7 Asus4 Asus2 Aadd9 A9 A6 Aaug Am6 A7sus4 Adim7

Want to know how this chord is built? Read diminished and half-diminished chords, or browse all A guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C dim | D dim | E dim | F dim | G dim | A dim | B dim | C#dim | D#dim | F#dim | G#dim | A#dim | Abdim | Bbdim | Dbdim | Ebdim | Gbdim

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What notes does Adim contain?

Adim has A, C and Eb, the root, minor third and flat fifth. The distance from A to Eb is six semitones, a tritone.

What makes the Adim chord different from an A minor triad?

A minor has A, C and E. Adim keeps A and C but lowers E to Eb. That flatter fifth removes the stable perfect interval and adds tension.

In which major key is A diminished the vii chord?

Adim is the vii chord of Bb major. Its notes A, C and Eb sit on the seventh degree of that scale, and the chord leans toward Bb.

Which scale can I play over A diminished?

The A Locrian scale, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, contains all three notes of Adim. It is a simple way to find melody notes that agree with the chord.

How many Adim voicings use open strings?

All 4 of the Adim voicings use an open string, and none needs a barre. They span from fret 1 up to fret 10.