Chord Charts › C Diminished

C Diminished chord on guitar

C diminished (Cdim) is a diminished triad: tense and unstable. It is built from C, D# and F# (formula 1 ♭3 ♭5). Diminished chords usually pass between two other chords, leading up a half step. The easiest way to play it in standard tuning is x-x-10-8-7-8.

x x 10 8 7 8

x x 10 11 13 11

Cdim fingerings (low E to high E)

Fret 7: x-x-10-8-7-8. Mute the low E and A strings.
Fret 10: x-x-10-11-13-11. Mute the low E and A strings.

Questions

What notes are in the Cdim chord?: Cdim is made of C, D# and F#: the root, minor 3rd and tritone above C.
What is the easiest way to play Cdim?: Play x-x-10-8-7-8 (low E to high E): mute the low E and A strings.
Which keys is Cdim in?: Cdim belongs to Db major (vii°).

Also try: C Major · C Minor · C7 · Cmaj7 · Chord Charts