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C diminished chord on ukulele (Cdim)
Also called or written Cdim or C°
C diminished contains C, E♭, and G♭. The 5th-fret shape mutes the E string and requires a stretch to the 6th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
- Root positionC–E♭–G♭Cdim11-12-11-×
- First inversionE♭–G♭–CCdim/E♭8-6-8-6
- Second inversionG♭–C–E♭Cdim/G♭5-6-×-6
How do you play a C diminished chord on ukulele?
C diminished is played at the 5th fret as 5 6 × 6: index finger on the G string at fret 5, middle finger on the C string at fret 6 and ring finger on the A string at fret 6. The E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5 | 1 | C (1) |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 2 | G♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (♭3) |
IntermediateThe ring finger must reach the A string at fret 6 while the middle finger holds the C string at fret 6, and the E string must be muted.
Cdim/G♭ inversion · 8-6-8-6
C diminished is played at the 6th fret as 8 6 8 6: ring finger on the G string at fret 8, index finger on the C string at fret 6, pinky finger on the E string at fret 8 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 1 | G♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 4 | C (1) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (♭3) |
Cdim/G♭ inversion · ×-6-8-6
C diminished is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 6: index finger on the C string at fret 6, ring finger on the E string at fret 8 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 1 | G♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (1) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (♭3) |
11th fret
C diminished is played at the 11th fret as 11 12 11 ×: index finger on the G string at fret 11, ring finger on the C string at fret 12 and middle finger on the E string at fret 11. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 11 | 1 | G♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 12 | 3 | C (1) |
| 2 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
C diminished is built from the 1, ♭3, ♭5 formula. The ♭5 interval creates a tritone with the root. Compare it to C minor, which has a perfect fifth G.
What goes wrong with C 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
C diminished works as a passing chord in B♭ natural minor or C♯ major. It suits tense, dramatic moments in jazz and classical music.
Changing to and from C diminished
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 4th fret gives B diminished.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 6th fret gives C♯ diminished.
Which voicing to use
The 5th-fret shape keeps C in the bass for a root-position sound. The Cdim/E♭ inversion puts E♭ in the bass, which gives a darker color.
Other C chords
Common questions
How is C diminished written?
C diminished is written C° or Cdim. The root is C.
What is the difference between C diminished and C minor?
C diminished lowers the fifth from G to G♭, creating a tritone. C minor keeps the perfect fifth G.
Why is the E string muted in the 5th-fret shape?
The open E string is not a chord tone of C diminished. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.