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A♭ diminished chord on guitar (A♭dim)
Also called or written A♭dim or A♭°
A♭ diminished is built from A♭, C♭, and E♭♭. The 4th fret shape is movable and mutes both the B and high E strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
- Root positionA♭–C♭–E♭♭A♭dim4-5-6-4-×-×
- First inversionC♭–E♭♭–A♭A♭dim/C♭×-2-0-1-0-×
- Second inversionE♭♭–A♭–C♭A♭dim/E♭♭×-×-0-1-0-×
How do you play an A♭ diminished chord on guitar?
A♭ diminished is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 6 4 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 5, pinky finger on the D string at fret 6 and middle finger on the G string at fret 4. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 3 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
IntermediateThe 4th fret shape demands a three-fret stretch across the low strings and precise muting of the B and high E strings, making it intermediate.
11th fret
A♭ diminished is played at the 11th fret as × 11 12 13 12 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 12, pinky finger on the G string at fret 13 and ring finger on the B string at fret 12. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 2 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 3 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
A♭dim/C♭ inversion · ×-2-0-1-0-×
A♭ diminished is played in open position as × 2 0 1 0 ×: middle finger on the A string at fret 2 and index finger on the G string at fret 1. The D and B strings ring open. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | C♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
A♭dim/C♭ inversion · ×-2-0-1-3-×
A♭ diminished is played in open position as × 2 0 1 3 ×: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the G string at fret 1 and ring finger on the B string at fret 3. The D string rings open. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
A♭dim/C♭ inversion · 7-5-6-7-×-×
A♭ diminished is played at the 5th fret as 7 5 6 7 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 7, index finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 7. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 3 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 4 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ diminished uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, producing A♭, C♭, and E♭♭. The double-flatted fifth gives the chord its tense, unstable quality. Contrast it with A♭ minor, which has a perfect fifth.
What goes wrong with A♭ diminished?
- Letting the B string ring out, adding a B that is not part of A♭ diminished.
- Letting the high E string ring out, adding an E that is not part of A♭ diminished.
- Flattening the pinky on the D string, causing the 6th fret note to buzz.
When to use it
A♭ diminished functions as the vii° chord in A major, leading to A major. It also works as a passing chord between A♭ minor and A major. Use it in jazz or classical for a tense, dark color.
Changing to and from A♭ diminished
- Slide the 4th fret shape up one fret to the 5th fret to get A diminished.
- Move to A♭ minor by lifting the pinky from the D string's 6th fret and playing the 6th fret on the G string instead.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret shape is the most common and keeps the root A♭ in the bass. The 11th fret shape repeats the voicing higher. The A♭dim/B inversions place C♭ in the bass, creating a more ambiguous sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ diminished written?
A♭ diminished is written as A♭° or A♭dim. On a keyboard, use Ab for the root. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ diminished and A♭ minor?
A♭ diminished has a double-flatted fifth (E♭♭), while A♭ minor has a perfect fifth (E♭). The diminished fifth creates a more dissonant, tense sound.
Why are the B and high E strings muted in the 4th fret shape?
The open B string is a chord tone of A♭ diminished, but it is muted to preserve the intended bass note and voicing. The high E string is muted because it is outside the chord.