About the Ddim chord
The diminished triad stacks two minor thirds, giving a tense, unstable sound. It is usually a passing chord that leads somewhere else. The symbol for it is Ddim.
D1
F♭3
A♭♭5
How to play Ddim
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 3 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 3.
- Strum and let the D string ring open, and don't play the low E and A strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Other D chords
Ddim chord questions
What notes are in a Ddim chord?
Ddim is made of D, F and A♭. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, ♭5 above the root, D.
What is the easiest way to play Ddim?
The first shape above is the most common one: x x 0 1 3 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is Ddim a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.