Which notes are in the Adim chord?

Adim contains the notes A, C and D#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5.

How many ways can you play Adim?

Minory lists a single guitar fingering for Adim.

Is the Adim chord hard to play?

Not really. The open position of Adim uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.

A diminished · Guitar

Adim Chord on Guitar

The Adim chord (A diminished) is built from the notes A, C and D#. The guitar fingering for it is shown below.

Chord diagrams

Adimopen position

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): played open
string 4 (D): fret 1 — index finger
string 3 (G): fret 2 — ring finger
string 2 (B): fret 1 — middle finger
string 1 (E): muted

Notes in this chord

A
C
D♯

Degrees: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5

How to play

Adim can be played with open strings on guitar, which makes it an accessible shape for beginners. Strings marked ○ ring open, while strings marked ✕ are muted.

Theory behind the chord

Diminished triads stack two minor thirds, so both the third and the fifth are lowered. The result is unstable and restless, and it usually appears as a passing chord between two stable ones. On Adim this structure sits on the root A, so the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 map onto A, C and D#.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the Adim chord?: Adim contains the notes A, C and D#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5.
How many ways can you play Adim?: Minory lists a single guitar fingering for Adim.
Is the Adim chord hard to play?: Not really. The open position of Adim uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.

Practise Adim on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.