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F diminished chord on ukulele (Fdim)
Also called or written Fdim or F°
F diminished contains F, A♭, and C♭. The 10th-fret shape mutes the E string and requires a stretch to the 11th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
- Root positionF–A♭–C♭Fdim4-5-4-×
- First inversionA♭–C♭–FFdim/A♭×-8-7-8
- Second inversionC♭–F–A♭Fdim/C♭10-11-×-11
How do you play an F diminished chord on ukulele?
F diminished is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 × 11: index finger on the G string at fret 10, middle finger on the C string at fret 11 and ring finger on the A string at fret 11. The E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (C) | 11 | 2 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
IntermediateThe ring finger must reach the A string at fret 11 while the middle finger holds the C string at fret 11, and the E string must be muted.
Fdim/A♭ inversion
F diminished is played at the 7th fret as × 8 7 8: middle finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 7 and ring finger on the A string at fret 8. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 7 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (1) |
4th fret
F diminished is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 4 ×: index finger on the G string at fret 4, ring finger on the C string at fret 5 and middle finger on the E string at fret 4. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 4 | 1 | C♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 3 | F (1) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (A) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
F diminished is built from the 1, ♭3, ♭5 formula. The ♭5 interval gives the chord its dissonant quality. Compare it to F minor, which raises the fifth to C.
What goes wrong with F 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
F diminished works as a passing chord in E♭ natural minor or F♯ major. It suits tense, dramatic moments in jazz and classical music.
Changing to and from F diminished
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret gives E♭ diminished.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 11th fret gives F♯ diminished.
Which voicing to use
The 10th-fret shape keeps F in the bass for a root-position sound. The Fdim/A♭ inversion puts A♭ in the bass, which gives a darker color.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F diminished written?
F diminished is written F° or Fdim. The root is F.
What is the difference between F diminished and F minor?
F diminished lowers the fifth from C to C♭, creating a tritone. F minor keeps the perfect fifth C.
Why is the E string muted in the 10th-fret shape?
The open E string is not a chord tone of F diminished. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.