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Tense

G Diminished

G · Bb · C#

Gdimo142

Shape 1 · difficulty 5/10

CC#DEbEFF#GG#ABbB
MajorMinorDominant 7thMinor 7thMajor 7thDiminishedSuspended 4th
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About the Gdim chord

Gdim is a G diminished chord built from G, Bb, C#. Tense and unstable: a passing chord that pulls strongly toward resolution.

Root

G

Quality

Diminished

Chord tones

G Bb C#

Shapes

1 · intermediate

Notes & intervals

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

G

root1

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

Bb

minor third♭3

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

C#

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 Gdim on ukulele?

Gdim 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 index finger on the 1st fret of the C string. Put your pinky finger on the 3rd fret of the E string. Put your middle finger on the 1st 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 Gdim chord?

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

What makes Gdim 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.

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