Which notes are in the Fdim chord?

Fdim contains the notes F, G# and B. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5.

How many ways can you play Fdim?

Minory lists a single guitar fingering for Fdim.

Is the Fdim chord hard to play?

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

F diminished · Guitar

Fdim Chord on Guitar

The Fdim chord (F diminished) is built from the notes F, G# and B. The guitar fingering for it is shown below.

Chord diagrams

Fdimopen position

Fingering

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

Notes in this chord

F
G♯
B

Degrees: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5

How to play

Fdim 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 Fdim this structure sits on the root F, so the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 map onto F, G# and B.

Frequently asked questions

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

Practise Fdim on your phone

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