Skip to main content
Ukulalala

Tense

C Diminished

C · Eb · F#

Cdimo213

Shape 1 · difficulty 4/10

CC#DEbEFF#GG#ABbB
MajorMinorDominant 7thMinor 7thMajor 7thDiminishedAugmentedSuspended 2ndSuspended 4th
learn more

About the Cdim chord

Cdim is a C diminished chord built from C, Eb, F#. Tense and unstable: a passing chord that pulls strongly toward resolution.

Root

C

Quality

Diminished

Chord tones

C Eb F#

Shapes

1 · intermediate

Notes & intervals

Every diminished chord stacks the same intervals on its root. In Cdim, that gives you:

C

root1

Home base. The root names the chord, and every other note is measured from it.

Eb

minor third♭3

The minor third is where the melancholy lives: it turns the chord dark and tender.

F#

diminished fifth♭5

A restless, shadowy interval: it makes the chord tense and unstable.

Used in genres

Diminished chords show up all over the progression catalog, most of all in these styles:

PopRockClassics

Character & mood

TenseTense and unstable: a passing chord that pulls strongly toward resolution.

Find another chord

Popular chords

ACGDFAmEmDm

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Cdim on ukulele?

Cdim is a solid intermediate shape once open chords feel steady. The first shape is the easiest voicing: 3 fretted strings and 1 open string. Put your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the C string. Put your index finger on the 2nd fret of the E string. Put your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string. Leave the G string open. Strum all four strings and check each one rings cleanly.

What notes are in a Cdim chord?

Cdim is C, Eb, F#. That is a diminished triad (root, minor third, diminished fifth). Play them in any order and you still get Cdim.

What makes Cdim a diminished chord?

Tense and unstable: a passing chord that pulls strongly toward resolution. Chord quality is the interval pattern above the root. That pattern is what you hear as diminished.

Get the Ukulalala app

Keep strumming

Get occasional tips, new tools, and progression inspiration.