Which notes are in the Cdim chord?

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

How many ways can you play Cdim?

Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for Cdim, 1 of which is a barre shape. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.

Is the Cdim chord hard to play?

Cdim requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

C diminished · Guitar

Cdim Chord on Guitar

The Cdim chord (C diminished) is built from the notes C, D# and F#. 2 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.

Chord diagrams

Position 1starts at fret 3

Fingering

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

Position 2barre shape · starts at fret 8

Fingering

string 6 (E): fret 8 — index finger
string 5 (A): fret 9 — index finger
string 4 (D): fret 10 — middle finger
string 3 (G): fret 8 — index finger
string 2 (B): muted
string 1 (E): muted

Notes in this chord

C
D♯
F♯

Degrees: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5

How to play

Every guitar shape for Cdim needs a barre, and the lowest one starts at fret 3. Keep the index finger straight and as close to the fret wire as possible, and let the wrist rather than the thumb supply the pressure.

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 Cdim this structure sits on the root C, so the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 map onto C, D# and F#.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the Cdim chord?: Cdim contains the notes C, D# and F#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5.
How many ways can you play Cdim?: Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for Cdim, 1 of which is a barre shape. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.
Is the Cdim chord hard to play?: Cdim requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

Practise Cdim on your phone

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