Ddim chord on guitar
The Ddim chord, or D diminished, stacks 3 notes on D: D, F and A♭. Musicians write its formula 1 ♭3 ♭5.
Notes and intervals of Ddim
Each note of Ddim has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (D), minor 3rd (F) and diminished 5th (A♭). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 ♭3 ♭5 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | D |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | F |
| ♭5 | diminished 5th | A♭ |
How to play Ddim on guitar
Start with the first diagram: x x 0 1 x 1, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is D. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want Ddim to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
Let the open strings ring: strum slowly once and check that every note sounds clean before you speed up.
Which keys use Ddim?
You find Ddim as a diatonic chord in E flat major (vii°). The most common case is E flat major, where it plays the role of vii°.
Scales to play over Ddim
These scales share every note of Ddim: D blues scale and D Locrian mode. D blues scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About diminished chords
Two stacked minor thirds: 1 ♭3 ♭5. The diminished fifth (a tritone) makes the diminished chord the most unstable triad: tense, dark and restless. It rarely stands alone and pulls towards the chord a semitone above its root. For example Bdim: B D F. Add a diminished seventh and you get the symmetrical diminished seventh chord.
In a major key it sits on vii° (for example Bdim in C major), acting as a lighter V7 that resolves to I. In a minor key it sits on ii°. Passing diminished chords connect neighbouring chords chromatically, for example I ♯i° ii (C C♯dim Dm). Classical music, jazz, ragtime and film scores use it to build suspense.
The triad is usually played as a small three or four-string shape on the middle or top strings, since full barres are awkward. Many guitarists play dim7 instead: a movable four-string shape that repeats every 3 frets, because the chord divides the octave into equal minor thirds. Slide it up three frets to hear a new inversion.
dim (three notes) and dim7 (four notes, with a diminished seventh) are not the same, though 'dim' on a jazz chart often means dim7. And dim is not m7♭5: the half-diminished chord adds a minor seventh (for example Bm7♭5: B D F A) and sounds much softer. Symbols: ° means diminished, ø means half-diminished.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Ddim chord?
Ddim (D diminished) contains D, F and A♭. In intervals: root (D), minor 3rd (F) and diminished 5th (A♭).
How do you play Ddim on guitar?
The easiest shape is x x 0 1 x 1, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with Ddim?
D blues scale fits Ddim best. Other scales that contain all its notes: D Locrian mode.
What key is Ddim in?
Ddim belongs to E flat major (vii°). In E flat major it is the vii° chord.
Related
Ready to go further than the chart?
The free GuitarHarmony workshop shows every scale on the whole neck, names any chord you play and builds progressions with you. Free account, no card.