Explore Cdim Chord Shapes on Guitar & Practice with Mic Feedback

C dim position 1 guitar chord diagram

To play Cdim, the C diminished chord, you need C, Eb and Gb, the root, minor third and flat five. The listed voicings run from fret 3 up to fret 10.

Because it has no perfect fifth, the chord sounds unsettled when played on its own. Looking for a scale to play over it? The C Locrian scale contains all three notes of Cdim.

Cdim has the same pitches as the vii chord of C# major, which that key spells with other letters. The interactive fretboard at the top lets you listen to each voicing as a strum and as an arpeggio, one string at a time.

C diminished guitar chord is also written as Cdim, C°, Cm(b5) or Cmb5.

C dim chord Notes:

C Eb Gb

Formula of the Diminished chord:

Formula: 1 b3 b5

C Dim Chord Interactive Fretboard

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C Dim Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Movable

C dim position 1 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Mute the high E string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 3 of the A string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 4 of the D string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the G string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the B string

Position 2 Movable

C dim position 2 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Mute the A string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the B string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the high E string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the G string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the D string

Position 3 Movable

C dim position 3 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the B string
  • Mute the high E string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the low E string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the A string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the G string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 10 of the D string

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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 are in the Cdim chord?

Cdim contains C, Eb and Gb. Those are the root, the minor third and the flat fifth. Eb sits a minor third from C and Gb a minor third from Eb, so the chord is two minor thirds stacked.

How does C diminished differ from a C minor triad?

Both share C and Eb. The fifth is the difference: C minor has G, while C diminished lowers it a semitone to Gb. That flat fifth lies six semitones from the root, a tritone, which makes the sound tense.

Which scale works over Cdim?

The C Locrian scale, spelled C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, contains all three chord tones. That means every note of Cdim is available inside it when you improvise or build melodies.

In which major key does C diminished act as the vii chord?

Cdim has the same pitches as the vii chord of C# major, although that key writes it with different letter names. It is the diminished triad on the seventh degree, so it often leads toward the tonic.

How many ways are there to play Cdim on guitar?

There are 3 voicings, none of them using an open string or a barre. The lowest sits at fret 3 and the highest reaches fret 10, so the chord can be moved along the neck.