Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string, x is a string you do not play.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the G string (3rd).
- Middle finger on the 1st fret of the high E string (1st).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string (2nd).
- Let the D string ring open.
- Do not play the low E and A strings: start the strum from the D string.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | not played | — | — | — |
| 5th (A) | not played | — | — | — |
| 4th (D) | open | — | D3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 1 | index | A♭3 | flat fifth |
| 2nd (B) | fret 3 | ring | D4 | root |
| 1st (high E) | fret 1 | middle | F4 | minor third |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Ddim
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- x5676xA shape at the 5th fret · four fingers
- x-x-0-10-9-10A shape at the 9th fret · three fingers
- 10-8-0-7-9-xA shape at the 7th fret · four fingers
Holding it cleanly
One string rings open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The 2 lowest strings are left out, because their open notes are not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below them, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in Ddim
A diminished chord is built from the root (1), ♭3 and ♭5 of its root’s major scale. From D that gives D – F – A♭. Two minor thirds stacked: tense and unstable, a passing chord between two steadier ones.
The same root, other chords: D major, Dm, D7, Dmaj7, Dm7, Dsus2, Dsus4, Daug.
Keys that use Ddim
Ddim is built from the notes of 2 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of guitar chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Ddim chord?
D diminished is three notes: D – F – A♭ — the root, ♭3 and ♭5 of the D major scale. On guitar the shape xx0131 sounds D3, A♭3, D4 and F4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Ddim on guitar?
The usual shape is xx0131 — an open-position shape, with three fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Ddim and Dm?
One note. Ddim is Dm with its fifth lowered a semitone, to A♭. That flattened fifth is a tritone above the root — the most unstable interval there is — which is why Ddim never sounds like a place to stop.
What keys is Ddim in?
Ddim is one of the seven chords of E♭ major (as vii°) and C minor (as ii°).