Chords › A♯ diminished
A Sharp Diminished Chord on Guitar
- A♯dim
- A♯ · C♯ · E
- From fret 1
- Also written B♭dim
Root on string 5
A sharp diminished, written A♯dim, is a diminished chord: a minor third and a flat fifth, a tense sound that leads somewhere else. A♯dim has no open shape, so it is usually played as a 4-string shape near the nut.
How to play A♯dim, finger by finger
- Put your index finger on string 5 at the 1st fret.
- Put your middle finger on string 4 at the 2nd fret.
- Put your ring finger on string 2 at the 2nd fret.
- Put your pinky finger on string 3 at the 3rd fret.
- Strum strings 5 to 2 only.
More ways to play A♯dim
Notes in A♯ diminished
| Note | Interval | Role |
|---|---|---|
| A♯ | 1 | root |
| C♯ | ♭3 | minor third |
| E | ♭5 | flat fifth |
Formula: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5
Questions about A♯dim
What notes are in A♯dim?
A♯, C♯ and E. Those are the 1, ♭3, ♭5 of the chord, counted from A♯.
Which strings do I strum for A♯dim?
Start on string 5 and strum down to string 1, and leave the strings marked with an X silent.
Is A♯dim the same as B♭dim?
Yes, on guitar they are played the same way and sound the same. A sharp and B flat are two names for one note: songs in sharp keys write A♯, songs in flat keys write B♭.
What chord does A♯dim lead to?
Most often B. The root of A♯dim sits a half step below B, so it leads up into B.
Related chords
Often played with A♯dim
Other diminished chords