Accessible Page: B Diminished Guitar Chord | All You Need To Know

This is an accessible, text-based page for the B dim guitar chord, suitable for screen-reader software.

Go to the complete list of chord diagrams in textual form.

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B dim Description

The B diminished chord is one of the first chord you're going to learn.

Unlike the other beginner chords, this one has a specific quality: it is diminished!

That means that B dim is a minor chord but with a diminished fifth (1, b3, b5), while the standard minor chords are formed with a perfect fifth (1, b3, 5).

This unique characteristic gives the B diminished chord an unstable sound, containing a tension that pushes you somewhere to be resolved.

This chord is also denoted in the following ways:

• B dim
• B°
• Bmb5 (unusual but you could encounter it in some books)

These 3 tones chord is the basis for more complex diminished chords:

• If you add a minor seventh, you'll obtain a Bm7b5 chord, which is 1, b3, b5 and b7
• If you add a diminished seventh, you'll get a B dim7 chord, composed of 1, b3, b5, and bb7

You can learn more about this topic on my diminished chords tutorial.

Learn 5 positions for this chord

Position 1

Fingers Positions

• Mute the low E string
• Mute the high E string
• Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the A string
• Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the D string
• Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the B string
• Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the G string

Position Characteristics

• This position is movable

Audio file

Position 2

Fingers Positions

• Mute the low E string
• Mute the A string
• Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the B string
• Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the high E string
• Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string
• Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the D string

Position Characteristics

• This position is movable

Audio file

Position 3

Fingers Positions

• Mute the low E string
• Mute the A string
• Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the D string
• Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the G string
• Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the high E string
• Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the B string

Position Characteristics

• This position is movable

Audio file

Position 4

Fingers Positions

• Mute the low E string
• Mute the A string
• Mute the D string
• Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the high E string
• Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the B string
• Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the G string

Position Characteristics

• This position is movable

Audio file

Position 5

Fingers Positions

• Mute the low E string
• Mute the B string
• Mute the high E string
• Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the G string
• Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the D string
• Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 14 of the A string

Position Characteristics

• This position is movable

Audio file

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