C♯dim7 chord on guitar

C♯dim7 is C♯, E, G and B♭. The usual shape is x-4-5-3-5-x. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

x-4-5-3-5-x · movable · medium

Notes: C♯ · E · G · B♭
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
First shape: x-4-5-3-5-x

How to play C♯dim7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-4-5-3-5-x, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 3rd fret:

Put your index finger on the G string at the 3rd fret, which is B♭.
Put your middle finger on the A string at the 4th fret, which is C♯.
Put your ring finger on the D string at the 5th fret, which is G.
Put your pinky finger on the B string at the 5th fret, which is E.
Mute the low E and high E strings with the side of a finger so they don't ring.

The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
With four strings sounding, a shorter strum works best: start on the first played string and stop at the high E.

Other ways to play C♯dim7

9-x-8-9-8-x: movable shape at the 8th fret, medium. Built on the Edim7 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-x-11-12-11-12: movable shape at the 11th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.

C♯dim7 chord changes

These are the changes you'll meet most often with C♯dim7, using the first shape of each chord.

D (leads up a half step): C♯dim7 (x-4-5-3-5-x) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): the index finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. D on guitar
Dm (leads up a half step): C♯dim7 (x-4-5-3-5-x) to Dm (x-x-0-2-3-1): move the index finger to the high E string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Dm on guitar
F♯ (a fifth down): C♯dim7 (x-4-5-3-5-x) to F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 4th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for C♯ and B♭, which stay put while the rest moves. F♯ on guitar

C♯dim7 is a diminished seventh: three minor thirds stacked, so the chord divides the octave into four equal parts. C♯dim7 can stand in for a dominant seventh a half step below, which is why it links chords so smoothly. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting C♯dim7 under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-4-5-3-5-x note by note: C♯ then G then B♭ then E. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-4-5-3-5-x and 9-x-8-9-8-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

D♭dim7 is another spelling of C♯dim7. Same shape, same sound.

Keys and progressions with C♯dim7

C♯dim7 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try C♯dim7 on ukulele or C♯dim7 on piano, or compare them on the C♯dim7 chord page.

Next to try on guitar

Other diminished seventh chords

C♯dim7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in C♯dim7 on guitar?

C♯, E, G and B♭. In the x-4-5-3-5-x shape the strings play C♯ (A string), G (D string), B♭ (G string) and E (B string).

What's the easiest way to play C♯dim7 on guitar?

No open-string C♯dim7 exists in standard tuning; x-4-5-3-5-x is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo can make it easier in some songs.

Is C♯dim7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-4-5-3-5-x needs no barre.

Which string does C♯dim7 start on?

In the x-4-5-3-5-x shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 4th fret, which is C♯, the root. Skip the low E and high E strings.

Every shape above plays only C♯, E, G and B♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.