Explore chords · Ukulele
B♭ diminished chord on ukulele (B♭dim)
Also called or written B♭dim or B♭°
B♭ diminished contains B♭, D♭, and F♭. The open shape uses three fretted notes and one open string, making it accessible for beginners.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
How do you play a B♭ diminished chord on ukulele?
B♭ diminished is played in open position as 3 1 0 1: ring finger on the G string at fret 3, index finger on the C string at fret 1 and middle finger on the A string at fret 1. The E string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 1 | 1 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | open | — | F♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 1 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
BeginnerThe ring finger must reach the G string at fret 3 while the index and middle fingers hold the C and A strings at fret 1.
B♭dim/F♭ inversion · 6-4-6-4
B♭ diminished is played at the 4th fret as 6 4 6 4: ring finger on the G string at fret 6, index finger on the C string at fret 4, pinky finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6 | 3 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 4 | 1 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
B♭dim/F♭ inversion · ×-4-6-4
B♭ diminished is played at the 4th fret as × 4 6 4: index finger on the C string at fret 4, ring finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 4. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 4 | 1 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 4 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
9th fret
B♭ diminished is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 9 ×: index finger on the G string at fret 9, ring finger on the C string at fret 10 and middle finger on the E string at fret 9. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 9 | 1 | F♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 9 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ diminished is built from the 1, ♭3, ♭5 formula. The ♭5 interval creates a tritone with the root. Compare it to B♭ minor, which has a perfect fifth F.
What goes wrong with B♭ diminished?
- Muting the open E string with the fretting hand, which removes a chord tone.
- Letting the ring finger collapse onto the C string, causing a buzz.
When to use it
B♭ diminished fits as a passing chord in A♭ natural minor or B major. It suits tense, mysterious passages in jazz and classical music.
Changing to and from B♭ diminished
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 4th fret gives B diminished.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives A diminished.
Which voicing to use
The open shape keeps B♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The B♭dim/C♯ inversion puts D♭ in the bass, which gives a darker color.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ diminished written?
B♭ diminished is written B♭° or B♭dim. The ASCII root spelling is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ diminished and B♭ minor?
B♭ diminished lowers the fifth from F to F♭, creating a tritone. B♭ minor keeps the perfect fifth F.
Why is the open E string included in B♭ diminished?
The open E string is F♭, which is the ♭5 of the chord. It is a chord tone, so it rings freely.