Chord chart

Adim Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play A Diminished (Charts)

Adim chord charts with finger numbers, an easier version, the notes and intervals, and the keys and progressions that use it. Also searched as adim chord, adim guitar chord and how to play Adim.

By David Sandy, guitar player and founder of Sandy Music Lab. Every chord shape on this page is checked note by note against the chord's formula.

Adim chord diagram, Open positionAdim Open position: low E muted, A open, D fret 1, G fret 2, B fret 1, high e muted.×132×x 0 1 2 1 x
Open position
x 0 1 2 1 x
Adim chord diagram, Easy 4-string versionAdim Easy 4-string version: low E muted, A muted, D fret 7, G fret 5, B fret 4, high e fret 5.4fr××4213x x 7 5 4 5
Easy 4-string version
x x 7 5 4 5
Adim chord diagram, Movable shape (5th fret)Adim Movable shape (5th fret): low E fret 5, A fret 6, D fret 7, G fret 5, B muted, high e muted.5fr1342××5 6 7 5 x x
Movable shape (5th fret)
5 6 7 5 x x

Numbers are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). × = don't play that string, ○ = play it open. A long bar is a barre: one finger flat across those strings. Strings run low E (left) to high e (right).

Chord chart by Sandy Music Lab

Quick answer: To play Adim (A diminished) on guitar, play x 0 1 2 1 x from the low E string to the high e string (the open position shape). The chord contains A, C, Eb. If that is hard, use the easier shape x x 7 5 4 5, which needs 4 fretted notes.

Adim chord facts

Chord Adim (A diminished)
Other names A°, Adim triad
Notes A, C, Eb
Intervals A (root), C (minor 3rd), Eb (diminished 5th)
Formula 1-b3-b5
Difficulty Beginner
Shapes on this page 3

How do you play Adim on guitar?

The main shape is x 0 1 2 1 x (Open position). Finger by finger:

  1. Put your index finger (1) on the D string at fret 1 (Eb, the diminished 5th).
  2. Put your middle finger (2) on the B string at fret 1 (C, the minor 3rd).
  4. Put your ring finger (3) on the G string at fret 2 (A, the root).
  5. Let the A (A) string ring open.
  6. Don't play the low E and high e strings: start yo