Tools / Chords / D diminished

D diminished chord on bass (Ddim)

Also written Ddim or D°

D diminished contains D, F, and A♭. The 10th-fret shape is a one-finger-per-string stretch that sits high on the neck.

10th fret10-11-12-10

Positions on the neck1 of 4

How it’s built

D1Root

F♭3Minor 3rd

A♭♭5Diminished 5th

Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5

Positions on the neck1 of 4

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionD–F–A♭DdimBass D

First inversionF–A♭–DDdim/FBass F

Second inversionA♭–D–FDdim/A♭Bass A♭

Why it sounds like that

D diminished is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5. The ♭5 interval gives the chord its tense, unstable quality. Compare D minor, which raises the fifth to A.

What goes wrong with D diminished?

Letting the pinky collapse onto the 1st string mutes the G.
Pressing the index finger too flat on the 4th string buzzes against the fret.
Arching the ring finger too high pulls the 3rd string sharp.

When to use it

D diminished works as a passing chord between D minor and F major, or over a C natural minor line. The ♭5 interval creates a tritone that pulls toward the next chord, suiting jazz walk-ups and metal riffs.

Changing to and from D diminished

Sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret gives C diminished.
Move to D minor by raising the 2nd string one fret to the 13th fret.

Which voicing to use

The 10th-fret shape puts D in the bass for a root-position sound. The Ddim/F inversion at the 13th fret places F in the bass, which softens the chord's bite.

How do you play a D diminished chord on bass?

10th fret

Intermediate● On the diagram

D diminished is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 12 10: index finger on the E string at fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 11, pinky finger on the D string at fret 12 and middle finger on the G string at fret 10.

Tip — The pinky must reach the 12th fret on the 2nd string while the middle finger holds the 10th fret on the 1st string.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	10	1	D (1)
3 (A)	11	3	A♭ (♭5)
2 (D)	12	4	D (1)
1 (G)	10	2	F (♭3)

Ddim/F inversion

Intermediate

D diminished is played at the 11th fret as 13 11 12 13: ring finger on the E string at fret 13, index finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	13	3	F (♭3)
3 (A)	11	1	A♭ (♭5)
2 (D)	12	2	D (1)
1 (G)	13	4	A♭ (♭5)

Ddim/A♭ inversion · fret 3

Intermediate

D diminished is played at the 3rd fret as 4 5 3 ×: middle finger on the E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 5 and index finger on the D string at fret 3. The G string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	4	2	A♭ (♭5)
3 (A)	5	3	D (1)
2 (D)	3	1	F (♭3)
1 (G)	muted	—	—

Ddim/A♭ inversion · fret 10

Intermediate

D diminished is played at the 10th fret as × 11 12 10: middle finger on the A string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 12 and index finger on the G string at fret 10. The E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	muted	—	—
3 (A)	11	2	A♭ (♭5)
2 (D)	12	3	D (1)
1 (G)	10	1	F (♭3)

Common questions

How do I write D diminished?

Write D° or Ddim. The root is D, and the chord is spelled D–F–A♭.

Why does D diminished sound unstable?

The ♭5 interval creates a tritone with the root, which wants to resolve. This tension is what gives diminished chords their forward drive.

Can I use D diminished in place of D minor?

Only when you want that darker, more dissonant color. D diminished lowers the fifth, so it clashes with melodies that expect the perfect fifth A.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

D (1)

3 (A)

A♭ (♭5)

2 (D)

D (1)

1 (G)

F (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

F (♭3)

3 (A)

A♭ (♭5)

2 (D)

D (1)

1 (G)

A♭ (♭5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

A♭ (♭5)

3 (A)

D (1)

2 (D)

F (♭3)

1 (G)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

muted

—

3 (A)

A♭ (♭5)

2 (D)

D (1)

1 (G)

F (♭3)