Guitar Chord Kit
Menu

Chords › D diminished

D Diminished Chord on Guitar

132

Open

D diminished, written Ddim, is a diminished chord: a minor third and a flat fifth, a tense sound that leads somewhere else. The open shape uses 3 fingers on 4 strings.

How to play Ddim, finger by finger

  1. Put your index finger on string 3 at the 1st fret.
  2. Put your middle finger on string 1 at the 1st fret.
  3. Put your ring finger on string 2 at the 3rd fret.
  4. Strum from string 4 down to string 1, and don't play strings 6 and 5.

More ways to play Ddim

5fr1243
Root on string 5 from fret 5
3fr4123
Movable, fret 3 from fret 3
4fr431
Open, fret 4 from fret 4
7fr4213
Movable, fret 7 from fret 7
8fr3142
Movable, fret 8 from fret 8
9fr4213
Movable, fret 9 from fret 9
10fr1342
Movable, fret 10 from fret 10
12fr1243
Movable, fret 12 from fret 12

Notes in D diminished

NoteIntervalRole
D1root
F♭3minor third
A♭♭5flat fifth

Formula: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5

Questions about Ddim

What notes are in Ddim?

D, F and A♭. Those are the 1, ♭3, ♭5 of the chord, counted from D.

Which strings do I strum for Ddim?

Start on string 4 and strum down to string 1.

What chord does Ddim lead to?

Most often E♭. The root of Ddim sits a half step below E♭, so it leads up into E♭.

Often played with Ddim

Other diminished chords