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 low E string (6th).
- Middle finger on the 1st fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the D string (4th).
- Let the B string ring open.
- Stop the strum before the high E string, or let the underside of a fretting finger rest on it to keep it quiet.
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) | fret 1 | index | F2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 2 | ring | C♭2 | flat fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 3 | little | F3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 1 | middle | A♭3 | minor third |
| 2nd (B) | open | — | C♭3 | flat fifth |
| 1st (high E) | not played | — | — | — |
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.
2 other ways to play Fdim
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.
- xx3464A shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-8-9-10-9-xA shape at the 8th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx3101 is Fdim without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
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 notes in Fdim
A diminished chord is built from the root (1), ♭3 and ♭5 of its root’s major scale. From F that gives F – A♭ – C♭ (B). Two minor thirds stacked: tense and unstable, a passing chord between two steadier ones.
The same root, other chords: F major, Fm, F7, Fmaj7, Fm7, Fsus2, Fsus4, Faug.
Keys that use Fdim
Fdim 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 Fdim chord?
F diminished is three notes: F – A♭ – C♭ (B) — the root, ♭3 and ♭5 of the F major scale. On guitar the shape 12310x sounds F2, C♭2, F3, A♭3 and C♭3, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Fdim on guitar?
The usual shape is 12310x — an open-position shape, with four fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx3101 is the same chord without the full barre.
What is the difference between Fdim and Fm?
One note. Fdim is Fm with its fifth lowered a semitone, to C♭. That flattened fifth is a tritone above the root — the most unstable interval there is — which is why Fdim never sounds like a place to stop.
What keys is Fdim in?
Fdim is one of the seven chords of F♯ major (as vii°) and E♭ minor (as ii°).