Which notes are in the Gdim chord?

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

How many ways can you play Gdim?

Minory lists a single guitar fingering for Gdim.

Is the Gdim chord hard to play?

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

G diminished · Guitar

Gdim Chord on Guitar

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

Chord diagrams

Gdimopen position

Fingering

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

Notes in this chord

G
A♯
C♯

Degrees: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5

How to play

Gdim 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 Gdim this structure sits on the root G, so the degrees 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 map onto G, A# and C#.

Frequently asked questions

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

Practise Gdim on your phone

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