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G diminished chord on guitar (Gdim)
Also called or written Gdim or G°
G diminished contains the notes G, B♭, and D♭. The 3rd fret shape is movable and mutes both the B and high E strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
- Root positionG–B♭–D♭Gdim3-4-5-3-×-×
- First inversionB♭–D♭–GGdim/B♭6-4-5-6-×-×
- Second inversionD♭–G–B♭Gdim/D♭×-4-5-3-×-×
How do you play a G diminished chord on guitar?
G diminished is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 5 3 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 4, pinky finger on the D string at fret 5 and middle finger on the G string at fret 3. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 4 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 2 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
IntermediateThe 3rd fret shape demands a three-fret stretch across the low strings and precise muting of the B and high E strings, making it intermediate.
10th fret
G diminished is played at the 10th fret as × 10 11 12 11 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 11, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12 and ring finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Gdim/B♭ inversion · fret 4
G diminished is played at the 4th fret as 6 4 5 6 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 6, index finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Gdim/B♭ inversion · fret 6
G diminished is played at the 6th fret as × × 8 6 8 6: ring finger on the D string at fret 8, index finger on the G string at fret 6, pinky finger on the B string at fret 8 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (♭3) |
Gdim/B♭ inversion · fret 11
G diminished is played at the 11th fret as × 13 11 12 11 ×: pinky finger on the A string at fret 13, index finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 12 and middle finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 4 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 | D♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 3 | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 2 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
G diminished is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, giving G, B♭, and D♭. The flattened fifth creates the chord's unstable quality. Compare it to G minor, which raises the fifth to D.
What goes wrong with G diminished?
- Letting the B string ring out, adding a B that is not part of G diminished.
- Letting the high E string ring out, adding an E that is not part of G diminished.
- Flattening the pinky on the D string, causing the 5th fret note to buzz.
When to use it
G diminished functions as the vii° chord in A♭ major, leading to A♭ major. It also works as a passing chord between G minor and A♭ major. Use it in blues or jazz for a tense, unresolved color.
Changing to and from G diminished
- Slide the 3rd fret shape up one fret to the 4th fret to get A♭ diminished.
- Move to G minor by lifting the pinky from the D string's 5th fret and playing the 5th fret on the G string instead.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret shape is the most common and keeps the root G in the bass. The 10th fret shape repeats the voicing higher. The Gdim/B♭ inversions place B♭ in the bass, softening the root emphasis.
Other G chords
Common questions
What is the difference between G diminished and G minor?
G diminished has a flattened fifth (D♭), while G minor has a perfect fifth (D). The diminished fifth creates a more dissonant, tense sound.
Can I play G diminished as a barre chord?
The 3rd fret shape uses no barre, but the 10th fret shape is movable. Slide the 10th fret shape down two frets to get F diminished.
Why are the B and high E strings muted in the 3rd fret shape?
The open B and high E strings are not chord tones of G diminished. Muting them keeps the voicing clean and prevents an unwanted major second clash.
How is G diminished written?
G diminished is written as G° or Gdim. The root is G, and the symbols are G° and Gdim.