Explore chords · Ukulele
A♭ diminished chord on ukulele (A♭dim)
Also called or written A♭dim or A♭°
A♭ diminished contains A♭, C♭, and E♭♭. The 1st-fret shape mutes the E string and requires a stretch to the 2nd fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
How do you play an A♭ diminished chord on ukulele?
A♭ diminished is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 × 2: index finger on the G string at fret 1, middle finger on the C string at fret 2 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2. The E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 2 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 3 | C♭ (♭3) |
IntermediateThe ring finger must reach the A string at fret 2 while the middle finger holds the C string at fret 2, and the E string must be muted.
A♭dim/E♭♭ inversion · 4-2-4-2
A♭ diminished is played at the 2nd fret as 4 2 4 2: ring finger on the G string at fret 4, index finger on the C string at fret 2, pinky finger on the E string at fret 4 and middle finger on the A string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 3 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 1 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
A♭dim/E♭♭ inversion · ×-2-4-2
A♭ diminished is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 4 2: index finger on the C string at fret 2, ring finger on the E string at fret 4 and middle finger on the A string at fret 2. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 1 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 2 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
7th fret
A♭ diminished is played at the 7th fret as 7 8 7 ×: index finger on the G string at fret 7, ring finger on the C string at fret 8 and middle finger on the E string at fret 7. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 1 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ diminished is built from the 1, ♭3, ♭5 formula. The ♭5 interval creates a tritone with the root. Compare it to A♭ minor, which has a perfect fifth E♭.
What goes wrong with A♭ diminished?
- Letting the open E string ring through, which adds a note outside the chord.
- Flattening the ring finger onto the E string, muting it unintentionally.
When to use it
A♭ diminished works as a passing chord in F♯ natural minor or A major. It suits tense, dramatic moments in jazz and classical music.
Changing to and from A♭ diminished
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives A diminished.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives B♭ diminished.
Which voicing to use
The 1st-fret shape keeps A♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The A♭dim/B inversion puts C♭ in the bass, which gives a darker color.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ diminished written?
A♭ diminished is written A♭° or A♭dim. The ASCII root spelling is Ab. 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 lowers the fifth from E♭ to E♭♭, creating a tritone. A♭ minor keeps the perfect fifth E♭.
Why is the E string muted in the 1st-fret shape?
The open E string is not a chord tone of A♭ diminished. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.