Chords › F diminished

F Diminished Chord on Guitar

2341

Root on string 6

F diminished, written Fdim, is a diminished chord: a minor third and a flat fifth, a tense sound that leads somewhere else. Fdim has no open shape, so it is usually played as a 4-string shape near the nut.

How to play Fdim, finger by finger

  1. Put your index finger on string 3 at the 1st fret.
  2. Put your middle finger on string 6 at the 1st fret.
  3. Put your ring finger on string 5 at the 2nd fret.
  4. Put your pinky finger on string 4 at the 3rd fret.
  5. Strum strings 6 to 3 only.

More ways to play Fdim

8fr1243
Root on string 5 from fret 8
312
Open near the nut
123
Open, fret 3 near the nut
6fr4123
Movable, fret 6 from fret 6
7fr2341
Movable, fret 7 from fret 7
11fr3142
Movable, fret 11 from fret 11
12fr4213
Movable, fret 12 from fret 12
13fr1342
Movable, fret 13 from fret 13

Notes in F diminished

NoteIntervalRole
F1root
A♭♭3minor third
C♭♭5flat fifth

Formula: 1 – ♭3 – ♭5

Questions about Fdim

What notes are in Fdim?

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

Which strings do I strum for Fdim?

All six strings.

What chord does Fdim lead to?

Most often F♯. The root of Fdim sits a half step below F♯, so it leads up into F♯.

Often played with Fdim

Other diminished chords