Practice the D dim Chord on Guitar
The D diminished chord (Ddim) combines D, F and Ab, that is the root, minor third and flat five. You meet Ddim as the vii chord in Eb major, where it leads back toward the tonic.
Every note of Ddim sits inside the D Locrian scale, so that scale is the natural place to look for melody notes. The listed voicings run from fret 1 up to fret 12. New to the vocabulary? Start with guitar music theory basics.
Compared with a minor triad only one note changes: the fifth drops by a semitone. Strum a shape in front of your microphone and the chord player at the top shows which strings ring and which are muted.
D diminished guitar chord is also written as Ddim, D°, Dm(b5) or Dmb5.
Notes in the D dim chord:
How to create the Diminished chord:
Formula: 1 b3 b5
D Dim Chord Interactive Fretboard
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D Dim Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 6 of the B string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the G string
Position 2 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the B string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the high E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the D string
Position 3 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the B string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the low E and G strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the D string
Position 4 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 3 of the B string
Position 5 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the A string
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in the D diminished chord?
Ddim is spelled D, F and Ab. It uses the root, a minor third and a flat fifth. Ab is six semitones from D, which is a tritone.
How does Ddim differ from a D minor triad?
D minor is D, F and A. Ddim lowers A to Ab, so the fifth is flat. The root and fifth then form a tritone, which makes the chord sound unsettled.
Which key has Ddim as its vii chord?
Ddim is the vii chord of Eb major. D, F and Ab are all notes of that scale, and the chord tends to resolve up to Eb.
Which scale fits Ddim?
The D Locrian scale, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, includes all three chord tones. It gives you a set of notes that agree with Ddim.
How many Ddim voicings are there, and how many use barres?
There are 5 voicings, and 2 of them use a barre. None uses an open string. They run from fret 1 to fret 12.
