Tools / Chords / B diminished

B diminished chord on ukulele (Bdim)

Also written Bdim or B°

B diminished contains B, D, and F. The four-fret stretch across all strings makes this shape a test of left-hand reach.

Bdim/D inversion4-2-1-2

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B1Root

D♭3Minor 3rd

F♭5Diminished 5th

Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

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

Root positionB–D–FBdimBass B

First inversionD–F–BBdim/DBass D

Second inversionF–B–DBdim/FBass F

Why it sounds like that

B diminished is built from a root, a minor 3rd, and a diminished 5th. The diminished 5th between B and F creates the chord's tense, unstable quality. Compare it to B minor, which raises the 5th to F♯.

What goes wrong with B diminished?

Letting the pinky collapse and mute the G string instead of fretting it cleanly.
Pressing the E string at the 1st fret so hard that it buzzes against the frets.

When to use it

B diminished often substitutes for B minor in progressions like B–E–F♯, the I–IV–V in B major, to add tension before resolution. It suits jazz, blues, and dramatic pauses in rock. Use it to lead into B minor or D major.

Changing to and from B diminished

Move to <a href="/ukulele/b-minor-chord">B minor</a> by lifting the pinky from the G string and placing it on the 4th fret of the E string, while keeping the other fingers in place.

Which voicing to use

The default voicing puts D in the bass, giving a darker, more unstable sound. For a root-position feel, use the 10-11-10-× shape with B in the bass, but it sits higher on the neck. The F inversion at 7-5-7-5 brightens the chord with F in the bass.

How do you play a B diminished chord on ukulele?

Bdim/D inversion

Intermediate● On the diagram

B diminished is played at the 1st fret as 4 2 1 2: pinky finger on the G string at fret 4, middle finger on the C string at fret 2, index finger on the E string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2.

Tip — The pinky must stretch to the 4th fret on the G string while the index finger stays at the 1st fret on the E string, a wide span for smaller hands.

String-by-string breakdown

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

Bdim/F inversion · 7-5-7-5

Intermediate

B diminished is played at the 5th fret as 7 5 7 5: ring finger on the G string at fret 7, index finger on the C string at fret 5, pinky finger on the E string at fret 7 and middle finger on the A string at fret 5.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	7	3	D (♭3)
3 (C)	5	1	F (♭5)
2 (E)	7	4	B (1)
1 (A)	5	2	D (♭3)

Bdim/F inversion · 4-5-7-5

Intermediate

B diminished is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 7 5: index finger on the G string at fret 4, middle finger on the C string at fret 5, pinky finger on the E string at fret 7 and ring finger on the A string at fret 5.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	4	1	B (1)
3 (C)	5	2	F (♭5)
2 (E)	7	4	B (1)
1 (A)	5	3	D (♭3)

10th fret

Intermediate

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

String-by-string breakdown

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

Bdim/F inversion · 4-5-×-5

Intermediate

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

String-by-string breakdown

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

Common questions

How is B diminished written?

B diminished is written as B° or Bdim.

What is the difference between B diminished and B minor?

B diminished lowers the 5th from F♯ to F, creating a diminished 5th interval. B minor has a perfect 5th, giving it a more stable, consonant sound.

Can I play B diminished higher up the neck?

Yes, the shape at 10-11-10-× puts B in the bass and works well for brighter passages. The 7-5-7-5 voicing uses F in the bass for a different inversion.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

B (1)

3 (C)

D (♭3)

2 (E)

F (♭5)

1 (A)

B (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

D (♭3)

3 (C)

F (♭5)

2 (E)

B (1)

1 (A)

D (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

B (1)

3 (C)

F (♭5)

2 (E)

B (1)

1 (A)

D (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

F (♭5)

3 (C)

B (1)

2 (E)

D (♭3)

1 (A)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

B (1)

3 (C)

F (♭5)

2 (E)

muted

—

1 (A)

D (♭3)