Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the E string (2nd).
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the C string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (1st).
- Little finger on the 5th fret of the G string (4th).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 5 | little | C5 | root |
| 3rd (C) | fret 3 | middle | E♭4 | minor third |
| 2nd (E) | fret 2 | index | G♭4 | flat fifth |
| 1st (A) | fret 3 | ring | C5 | root |
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 Cdim
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.
- 8689A shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
- 8089A shape at the 8th fret · three fingers
Holding it cleanly
It spans 4 frets. Bring the elbow in and let the hand turn slightly toward the body of the ukulele; the stretch comes from the hand opening, not from the fingers reaching.
The notes in Cdim
A diminished chord is built from the root (1), ♭3 and ♭5 of its root’s major scale. From C that gives C – E♭ – G♭. Two minor thirds stacked: tense and unstable, a passing chord between two steadier ones.
The same root, other chords: C major, Cm, C7, Cmaj7, Cm7, Csus2, Csus4, Caug.
Keys that use Cdim
Cdim is built from the notes of 2 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of ukulele chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Cdim chord?
C diminished is three notes: C – E♭ – G♭ — the root, ♭3 and ♭5 of the C major scale. On ukulele the shape 5323 sounds C5, E♭4, G♭4 and C5, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Cdim on ukulele?
The usual shape is 5323 — a shape at the 2nd fret, with four fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Cdim and Cm?
One note. Cdim is Cm with its fifth lowered a semitone, to G♭. That flattened fifth is a tritone above the root — the most unstable interval there is — which is why Cdim never sounds like a place to stop.
What keys is Cdim in?
Cdim is one of the seven chords of D♭ major (as vii°) and B♭ minor (as ii°).